The Beauty of a Song
by AlexQuin
Summary: The turtles go to the farm house for a well-deserved summer vacation. Nothing but fun, sun, and relaxation. So they thought. Someone, or something, is lurking in the woods. Friend or foe? What might it have to do Leo's strange dreams? And just who was that girl? Read to find out! (Based on the 2003-2009 cartoons. Please read intro.) LeoxOC, MikexOC, DonxOC, RaphxMonaLisa
1. Chapter One

The Beauty of a Song

**Introduction**

This story has been a work in progress for a number of years. No other story has received the kind of careful thought and dedication that I have put into this. It has been thoroughly revised from its last posting and I hope it was for the better.

Our story takes place at not particular point in time that necessarily correlates with the seasons of the series for which it's written in. The turtles are all about the age of eighteen. The utrom shredder is still in existence. For the sake of my story, I have made him human; makes life a little easier. For the sake of the story history, the turtle have never gone into space, but they have travel to different dimensions. All other events from the series have taken place, with the exception of space travel and the shredder being a squishy red brain in a robotic man's stomach. It also does not include the Fast Forward or Back to the Sewers seasons. Those events never took place in my edited universe. I have also brought in Mona Lisa as a character. For those of you who know her original back story, I have changed it a bit, and given her an older brother.

All that said, I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor! Happy reading!

P.S.

I love detailed reviews!

* * *

**Chapter One: The big day! A disturbing discovery**

It was bright and sunny outside on this perfect Saturday morning. April O'Neil awoke from a restless night sleep as her excitement and anticipation of the day's upcoming events grew. This was the day she had been waiting for throughout the spring. It was the day she and her favorite group of ninja's all took their big trip to the farm house in Northampton for three whole weeks of summer fun. She jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the living room to wake up Casey, who had stayed the night so they could get any early start.

"Casey, wake up. It's morning!"

He didn't move, so she shook his shoulders and tried again.

"Casey, wake up!"

"…Five more minutes Ma…" he moaned as he rolled over, and covered his head with his pillow.

"CASEY JONES!" She shouted.

"Wha! I'm up! I'm up!" He bolted up and fell to the floor, tangled in his bed sheets. He looked up at her. "What's up babe?"

"We got to get ready to go. We're supposed to meet the guys at eight."

"Wha'd ya' talk'n about'? We got everything packed and loaded last night. An't got noth'n left ta' do." He moaned, rubbing his head.

"You can't expect to travel in your pajamas. Get dressed, get showered, and get something to eat. I've waited months for Splinter to finally agree to go on this vacation. I want to get out of here as soon as possible before some kind of alien invasion come crashing down or a gang war breaks out. Knowing our luck, that's exactly what would happen…"

As Casey dragged himself to the bathroom, April threw on her selected travel attire, which consisted of a green tank top, a pair of coffee brown hiking shorts, and white laced sandals. Rushing to the kitchen, she popped a bagel into the toaster and threw together her purse. She tied up her hair and put her sun glasses on her top of her head. Picking up the phone she dialed the number that would connect her to Donatello's shell cell.

. . . . . . . . .

Donatello had finished packing up his laptop and putting together the group's first aid kit. He then brought his stuff out to the living room, where all the other suit cases were.

"Hey Don, do you know where Klunk's cat cage is?" asked Mikey, throwing down his duffle bag.

"I think I saw it on top of the fridge in the kitchen." He replied.

Raphael came down stairs from his room with a grungy red back pack slung over his shoulder, and looking to be in a surprisingly good mood as he greeted his younger brother.

"I can't wait ta hit that lake, bro." He threw his bag down with the rest.

"It's a lot better for swimming than flooded sewer lines." Leo commented. He and Splinter walked out of the dojo.

"Indeed, this will be a rejuvenating trip my sons. We must thank Ms. O'Neil for planning it in our favor."

"I'll say!" Michelangelo came bounding out of the kitchen with the cat cage in hand. "It's gonna be a blast!" He scooped up Klunk off the floor and gently placed him inside. "When are we going?" he asked.

"As soon as April calls, we'll go up to the warehouse to load up," Don answered.

_Ring, ring, ring!_

"That must be her," he answered his cell.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

"_Hello."_

"Hey Don, are you guys ready to go?"

"_Yep, we're all packed and ready."_

"Great! Casey and I will meet you in about fifteen minutes."

_"Okay. __See ya' in a few."_

With that she hung up and turned to Casey who was sitting at the kitchen table. He wore a pair of blue jeans with ripped knees, a red basketball jersey, and white sneakers. He looked up at her from his bowl with a mouth full of Captain Crunch.

"All shet, babe?" he mumbled.

"Yep, they're heading up now." She quickly washed out Casey's cereal bowl as he picked up his duffle bag and her suit case, and headed out the door.

She locked up her apartment and then the store as they left. Then they climbed into her "hippy van", as Casey called it, and headed for the warehouse.

. . . . . . . . .

Leo picked up his dark blue duffle bag and Splinters suitcase and followed his brothers into the elevator that lead to the warehouse above their layer. At the top, Don locked down the layer and set the security codes. He was just as excited to get to the farmhouse as his brothers. Three whole weeks out in the sun, breathing the fresh country air and hearing the sounds of nature. Like Raph had said, he too couldn't wait to jump in the crystal clear lake behind the house and enjoy the cool, clean water.

They'd make bon-fires and go hiking in broad daylight without having to worry about someone seeing them. Being out there would allow him and his brothers to experience new things and be sort of laid back for once in their hectic lives. There had been no sign of The Foot for months and the police where handling the Purple Dragons with little to no trouble. They could get away and relax without having to worry about their city being in danger.

They didn't have to wait long before April pulled into the warehouse, smiling ear-to-ear. It was her idea to take this trip and she was the one who convinced Master Splinter to go for it.

"All aboard!" she called.

They all climbed in the back and took their seats. Don, Raph, and Casey had upgraded her van into a mini battle shell of sorts, in case she ever got into a high speed chase with a gang of goons. They had put in bus seats, cabinets, a small radar system, TV, and a stereo. Casey switched places with April and took the driver seat.

"Here we go." He started up the van and took off toward the country side.

"Wahoo!" shouted Mikey from his seat next to Don, who flinched from the sudden loud noise. "We're on vacation!"

"That was my ear drum, Mikey." Don moaned.

Raph slapped Mikey on the back of the head from his seat behind him.

"Ouch!"

April looked back with a chuckle. "You guys want to listen to some music?"

"Sure April." answered Leo.

She pulled a CD out of her purse and slipped it into the stereo. The music was up- beat and catchy. It had an almost techno sound to it and the female vocalist sang in a voice that was sweet and clear. Leo perked up.

"Hey, she's singing in Japanese." Mikey announced.

Leo inquired. "Is this the singer you were telling us about the other night April?"

"Yeah." April handed him the CD case. "Her name is Hanako Megumi." She explained. "I saw her CD in a music store a couple weeks ago and thought I would give it a try since you all got me into Japanese pop songs."

"You can give Mikey all the credit for that." Don looked up from his lap top. "The only pop I'm into is the kind you drink."

"I think she rocks!" Mikey exclaimed, bobbing his head to the beat.

"Again, that was my ear Mikey…" moaned Donatello, rubbing his sore ear.

Everyone started getting into the music, bobbing their heads and swaying back and forth. Even Raph was got into it, if you call tapping your fingers getting into it.

"I love her music. It always makes me want to sing along and dance." April laughed.

"Do you even know what she's saying April?" Don chuckled.

"Dats exactly my point." said Casey. "I don't know why ya like it so much, babe, when ya don't know what's being said."

"Get with the program dude. I understand her just fine," Mikey reprimanded.

"That's because we were taught Japanese, Mikey," Leo pointed out.

"Yeah well, even if I didn't, that wouldn't stop me from liking it." He shrugged it off.

April turned the radio down a degree as the song came to an end, letting the CD play on.

Don opened his laptop and typed in a search for Hanako Megumi as the next song, began to play. "That's strange…" he said thoughtfully.

"What is it Donnie?" Asked Leo.

"Well, when I googled Hanako Megumi, all that comes up in google images is this CG anime character. Apparently, this character stars in the music videos too."

"That's because she's a fictional star, Don." April explained. "Like the Vocaloids."

"Then who does the singing?" He asked.

"I don't know, probably some Japanese girl." She shrugged.

"Hmm…" Don began typing away. "I can't find anything about who voices her…"

"Maybe it's all done with computers?" April suggested.

"No, her voice is real. Wow. She's really popular in Japan." He brought up a website. "She's got top rating with a lot of record companies and raving reviews from fans."

"Well she's got good music. What did you expect?" Asked Mikey.

"Why does that surprise you Donnie?" Asked April.

"She's not real. Yet people are crazy about her. Her voice is probably stolen from some hard working artist who doesn't get any credit, because it comes out of a cartoon character."

April rolled her eyes. "While I see your point, just enjoy it for what it is. It's good music. I'm sure the actually singer gets plenty of zeros on her paycheck." She focused her attention on the scenery outside.

Don shrugged and went back to his typing.

The rest of the trip was spent in idol conversation and the usual arguments between the brothers. Leo looked around at his family laughing and enjoying themselves in the van. It brought a warm smile to his face. When he looked up at April and Casey, smiling contently at one another, his expression faded.

He was reminded of an all too familiar loneliness he harbored. Even though he was surrounded by the people he loved, that sadness crept its way into his heart every now and then. He and his brothers knew they would never know how it felt to have someone love them that way, the way April and Casey loved each other, and they accepted that. But the desire, the want, was still there. He felt it every time he saw a couple walking through the street, enjoying the evening air and each other's company. He felt it every time he let himself watch some sappy movie on TV. He felt it every time he saw how happy, how in love April and Casey were with each other. Even after he had learned his lesson in love, after he had been betrayed, the longing was still there.

He looked out the one way window at the other cars passing by. He could only imagine what it would be like holding and being held by someone who could love him in a way his family never could. But just imagining such a thing seemed impossible as well, foolish even. He was only torturing himself. He had a responsibility to lead his brothers, and being the one to guide and protect them when things took a turn for the worst. Though it would be nice to have someone he could talk to about his inner struggles and sometimes overwhelming burdens, it was an impossible dream.

Throughout his young life, he had faced difficulties' unlike anyone else. The stress, pressure, and pain was sometimes almost too much to bear. He formed an unhealthy habit of always being tense, on guard, and ready to strike back at any attacker. True relaxation almost never came to him, even in sleep; It was always with one eye open. Oh, he talked to Splinter about his struggles many times. He'd meditated for hours, but no one truly knew how it felt to carry a burden as large as his. Everything he did, all the pain he felt over his life time, all the stress, anxiety; it was all for his brothers, his family. The more he could feel, the more he could set their minds at ease, the better. How do you do that? By being a strong leader who doesn't break, always keeps their head on straight, and encourages his team. He lifts their spirits, ignites their fire, and leads the charge. He doesn't get to vent, wine, or relax.

Then again, maybe he was being too negative; too hard on himself. He had the habit of doing that too. Maybe this vacation would do him some good and break a few of his bad habits. Maybe he would find a way to relax, and learn to wind down when there was no danger looming overhead; like when he was younger. When he wasn't the leader…

Casey ejected the CD, despite April's protests, and turned the radio to his favorite rock station, pulling Leo from his thoughts. His smile returned as he watched his brothers bang their heads to the rock n' roll. Even Splinter decided to play along, sporting the rock-on symbol with his hand in the air.

He laughed a loud. It was moments like this that made it all worth it, he supposed.

But, as the carefree travelers drove on, a figure stood upon a rooftop. Cloaked in shadow, and watched them go. "They have left the city." He spoke into his ear piece, reporting back to his Foot comrades.

TT

By noon they pulled into a dirt driveway and up to the farm house. "You guys are gonna love the place. Me and my cousin Sid fixed it up real good this past winter." Casey explained. "We patched up all da holes, painted da walls, fixed da squeaky floor boards. It's great!" As soon as the vehicle stopped, Mikey grabbed the cat carrier and leaped out the back of the van.

"Oh yeah, let the summer fun begin!" He ran for the porch as everyone else got out with their luggage in hand.

"Mikey wait, Casey has the key!" April called after him.

Mikey reached out with his free hand to open the door, but when he touched the knob the door slowly creaked open. The house was already unlocked and open!

"Uh, Casey, your house is open," he called back.

"What!" He dropped his bag and ran past Mikey into the house. "Holy crap!" Casey cried.

The house was a wreck. The sheets that covered the furniture had been ruffed up and pulled away, the couch cushions had been torn, the coffee table was split in half, and pictures had been knocked off the walls.

"Whoa..." said Mikey, stepping in behind Casey.

"Casey!" April called. "Casey, is anything stolen?" she asked running up next to him. She gasped at what she saw and clung to his arm.

The others quickly filed into the living room, leaving their luggage on the porch.

"What the hell…" muttered Raph, surveying the scene.

Leo looked around with narrowed eyes.

"Let's search the house guys," he suggested. "And be cautious."

Raph peered into the kitchen. Cabinet doors were hanging by a hinge, and dishes were scattered on the kitchen floor in bits and pieces. April huddled close to Casey as the turtles searched the house. What looked to be claw marks were etched in various placed along the walls and practically covered the floor. Splinter walked over to the nearest set of claw marks and examined them closely. They were large and deep. He then observed a broken window at the far end of the living room above the couch. He assumed that was how the intruder had gotten in. Looking back at the door, he saw no forced entry. It had been unlocked from the inside.

While Raphael continued to look through the disaster of the kitchen, Leo, Don and Mikey headed up stairs. Don and Mike searched the second floor while Leo continued up into the attic. The bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor were spotless. Up in the attic Leo the beds were still neatly made from their last visit, and the furniture still covered with sheets. Everything seemed untouched.

Down stairs, Raph found no damage towards the back of the house. He searched carefully, eyes narrowed, gritting his teeth. Situations like this stoked his fire. He was ready pounce, sai in hand. He glanced around the laundry room then stood by the backdoor. He unlocked and opened it, looking out through the screen. There was nothing. He walked back into the living room as the others came back down stairs.

"There's no monster up stairs," Mike announced.

"No damage or anything." Don added.

The four turtles joined Master Splinter by the fire place.

"We found nothing, Master. This is the only damaged area," Leo reported.

"Hmm…this is very concerning…" he said thoughtfully.

"All dat time and money!" shouted Casey. "Just to have some low life come waltzing in hear and trash da place!"

"Who, or what do you think could have done this?" asked April, examining claw marks in the wall.

"I am not certain my dear." Splinter answered.

She ran her finger along the fire place mantle.

"It must have been a while ago," she said as she proceeded to inspect the coffee table. "There's a layer of dust on everything."

"Dats cause da house has been opened up," Casey said. "Just a bigger mess ta clean. We had it all closed up tight so it would be a breeze ta move right back in. Now it's a mess!" He crossed his arms.

April took his hand. "At least now one was hurt." She said reassuringly. Casey glanced at her and sighed, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Yeah, babe." She rested her head on his chest.

Splinter stepped out the front door and walked down the porch steps onto the fresh grass. He stared intently into the woods that surrounded the house with narrowed eyes, looking for signs of danger. The others followed him and stood on the porch. His ears twitched, searching for foreign sounds. He breathed in the air.

"Whoever it was that came here, they have long since left my sons." He turned to the group. "Let us go back inside the house and settle in. We shall meditate on this tomorrow. There is much cleaning to be done before we can begin to relax. We all have had a long journey and are out of possible danger for now."

They all nodded and he lead them back inside.

"Master Splinter, do you think they'll be back?" April asked.

"Perhaps." He continued thoughtfully. "It is too early to say."

"Oh, I hope dey come back so I can pound dem into da-"

"Casey." April interrupted. "Try to calm down. There's nothing we can do about it right now. You're getting yourself all worked up…" she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He heaved a heavy sigh. "I know babe. I was just so excited for yous guys ta see the place all fixed up. Then dis happened…"

"Look on the bright side. This is the only room that got damaged; the rest of the house is still in once piece. I'm sure the this won't seem so bad after its all clean up." She smiled encouragingly.

"Eh. I guess you're right. It still ticks me off." He grunted.

"I'm with Casey on dis one." Raph said, looking just as miffed.

April cleared her throat. "Well, let's get to work guys." She began to give orders and directed her cleanup crew to get the house back in order. The kitchen was the first to be tidied up, wear-in her and Don made lunch for the group.

By evening the house had been swept, dusted, and rid of broken glass. Casey boarded up the broken window in the living room and April sewed up the couch cushions as best she could, and covered then with spare pillow cases. Donatello then rejoined her in the kitchen to make dinner. She and Casey would go to the market in the morning to get more supplies. The other turtles unpacked their things upstairs in the attic, placing what little clothing they owned in closets and dressers. Mikey set up Klunk's bed and litter box and opened the cage so he could walk out. Klunk leapt from the cat carrier and ran into the center of the room. He skidded to a halt and sniffed the air. He hissed and ran into Mike's arms, every hair on his back standing on end.

"Whoa! What's wrong buddy?" Mike scratched him behind the ears to try to calm him down. "He's all freaked out."

"Hmm…" Leo walked over to the window and saw there was nothing outside that would intimidate or frighten the cat. The sun was setting and there were long shadows stretching across the ground, it would be the perfect time to stealth train, but that wasn't what they came to do.

"There's nothing outside, so let's not think about it for now. Let's go downstairs and see if we can help with dinner."

The others nodded and went down stairs. Leo looked out the window one last time, just to be sure. He hated the threatening feeling that lingered in his stomach. Then he saw it. Someone ran across the lawn. He bolted down stairs, pushing past his brothers, and out the front door.

"Leo?" Raph called.

"Leo, what is it!?" April asked from the kitchen, hearing the commotion.

"My son!" Splinter got out of his chair.

Leo stood in the yard and saw the figure running for the woods. He took off after it. In the dim light he could tell they were small, but fast, and wore a hooded coat.

"Stop!" he called.

The stranger ran faster.

Leo quickened his pace, caught up, and tackled them to the ground. They screamed and squirmed under him. For their size, they were surprisingly strong.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" he said quickly.

For a moment the struggling lessened as the trespasser glanced back at him. Leo caught a glimpse of striking blue eyes before- "Get off her!" another voice, young and strong, shouted.

Leo looked up and was suddenly hit in the side and rolled off the squirming girl. It felt like he was struck with one of Casey's metal bats, but the voice wasn't Caseys. He got to his knees and saw a much larger person running away with the smaller. He couldn't make out eithers ones features through his blurred vision, and they soon disappeared into the woods. Tackling probably wasn't the best course of action he could have chosen.

"Leo!" Raph called as he and the others came up behind him. "What happened bro?"

"I… I saw someone sneaking around the house. I ran after them." He moaned. "I think I got hit with a bat." Raph helped him to his feet.

"Did they see you my son?" Splinter asked quickly.

"No sensei…"

They stood in silence, starring into the darkness.

"Until we have some answers my sons, you will not go into the forest alone…" he said in a low voice. "This place may no longer be safe for us…"

Don stepped up to look at Leo's side.

"Ouch, that's gonna leave a bruise…"

"It was a metal bat." Leo groaned.

"Dude…" Mikey winced when he saw the already swelling area.

"Let's get you back to the house and put some ice on that." Don helped his brother back to the house where April and Casey were waiting where they were told to stay.

"What happened?" April asked worriedly.

"Leo got mistaken for a baseball. They tried to hit him home." Mikey joked. Raph slapped him upside the head. "Ouch!"

"No good neighbors!" Casey ranted. "Probably some stupid kids plan'n on egg'n da front pouch, or paint'n graffiti of da side of the barn. I tell ya, does people really get on my nerves." He huffed.

April rolled her eyes. "I'll get an ice pack." April scurried off to the kitchen as Donnie helped his broth to the couch.

TT

Later that night, Leo lay in bed with his side wrapped up in an ice pack. It's hard to sleep with ice on your side, and with thoughts of danger lurking in the woods around you. He knew the being he encountered to be female. None but a woman could scream like that. Plus the man had said "her". He moaned in frustration. This was supposed to be a place they could all come and be safe; a place to relax and get their minds off things. Now a mystery presented itself, one that could endanger his family. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, letting sleep finally take him over.

_Things will look up in the morning_. He hoped.

Leo closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

TT

_He stood on the shore of a mist covered lake and looked up at the full moon. There was a chill in the air. He was walked along the lakes edge. He stopped suddenly as he heard a sound rising out of the fog. It was singing. The melody was hauntingly beautiful, sung by a voice that made his whole body feel numb. The mist began to engulf him. A stone path rose out of the water. He followed it, towards the voice. His palms began to sweat. His nerves were on end. He narrowed his eyes as he got closer, to see the image that was unfolding before him. A girl stood on a floating raft in the center of the lake's glassy surface with her back to him. Her long raven hair flowed in the soft breeze. She wore a long white gown that trailed behind her, and a sash draped over her arms. She was the source. His body froze. She must be very beautiful. He was all at once enchanted by her. As he got closer, the shadows of creatures as tall as buildings and as small as a mouse appeared in the mist, their eyes glow an eerie white. They turned to him, their glances following him as he came to the edge of the raft. He slowly began to reach for her. Suddenly, the girl spun around. He starred into her piercing pale blue eyes. He had never seen eyes so blue. In that instant, all the creatures cried out in their own voices and lighting flashed. Her eyes suddenly turned a threatening red. Leo jumped back. Within seconds, she had transformed into a monstrous creature; long, sharp claws, spikes, drooling fangs, a killers stair, and a vicious roar. He was filled with fear. All the animals attacked as one and he felt the ground beneath him disappear. He fell screaming into a thick darkness, surrounded by the creature's high pitched roaring._

Leo shot up in bed with a shout! Sweat falling from his forehead. He looked around frantically, waiting for an attack. For the monster to appear and devour him! Never had he had such a powerful vision; so many emotions at once. He steadied his breathing and slowed his heart, fearing it was beating so loud that it would wake the others, if his cry hadn't done so already. It was the middle of the night, everyone was sound asleep. He sighed and lay back down. What had triggered such a dream? He tried to go back to sleep, but it seemed impossible. He looked towards the window. His head was full of questions. The biggest one being, what was out there?


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: Summer fun! Sleepless nights.**

Leo awoke to the smell of vanilla and cinnamon as the warm sun touched his face and brought his surroundings to life. He forced his eyes open and saw that Don and Raph where already up.

"Sleeping in there, oh fearless one?" asked Raph.

"Hey, I'm on vacation." He moaned, and then turned to the window to see the bright summer's day that awaited him and his brothers.

He stood up slowly stretching his arms. He flinched slightly at the injury on his side.

"Ready to hit the lake, bro?" Don asked as he tied on his mask.

"I guess so." Leo took his mask off the bed frame and walked with his brothers down stairs.

'_Mikey must be in the kitchen helping April with breakfast_,' He thought. They only wore there belts and masks, not needing there pads unless Splinter wanted them to do some exercises. It was too hot out for them anyway. His thoughts were still on his dream, so much so that he didn't notice something flying towards him.

"Heads up!" They three turtles hit the floor upon entering the kitchen as a flapjack, coupled by a frying pan, flew overhead. Leo groaned in pain, holding his side.

"Yo! Mikey! You try'n to kill us with ya cooking?!" Raphael exclaimed.

"Sorry Raph…" he said with a sheepish smile.

The three gathered themselves up and sat at the table where Casey and Splinter waited for them.

"Morning guys," April chirped as she flipped more pancakes. She had dragged Casey out of bed before sunrise so they could get to the market before the others awoke. "Did you sleep okay?"

"As well as you can with ice on your side all night," Leo said. _And a unsettling dream in your head…_ He thought.

"How is your wound my son?" asked Splinter.

"A little sore, but okay."

"You're lucky it wasn't ya head." Raph said.

Leo glared at him as April served them their breakfast. He thanked her.

"What do you guys plan to do today?" she asked, taking her seat beside Casey.

"Let's go swimming!" said Mikey as he sat beside Don.

"I like that idea. You don't have to keep that bandage on Leo, so you can get wet." said Don.

"Okay, that sounds like fun," he said half-heartedly. Fun was the last thing on his mind right now.

"I'll say! I'd like to see April in the new swim suit she bought," Casey said.

April hit him in the arm and he dropped his fork with a yelp, rubbing his rapidly forming bruise. Everyone else laughed at April's reddening face. Those two were quite a pair.

"We must still be cautious, my sons. I do not wish to spoil anyone's fun, but we cannot forget that we are not alone out here, as we once thought we were." Splinter reminded them of last night's events.

"We know sensei, we'll all be careful." Said Donatello. "Wont we?"

The other nodded in agreement.

"Good. I will go to the lake as well. I will enjoy the fresh air." The old rat smiled.

Breakfast was over and cleaned up quickly with all of them wanting to get to the lake. Everyone had a towel thrown over their shoulders and beach bags in hand. Because they felt somewhat 'naked' without their normal gear, the turtles all wore colored swim trunks to make up for it. April wore a purple sun dress and Casey had on blue swim trunks. Splinter wore a sun hat and, to everyone's surprise, a pair of dark red swim trunks under his open robe. For the sake of not getting whacked in the head, they kept their comments to themselves.

"Ready to go guys?" April asked as they gathered by the door.

"Totally!" exclaimed Mikey.

"Let's get goin' already!" wined a very impatient Raphael.

"My sons, I would like for you all to bring along your weapons. We still do not know what is in these woods. We must be prepared," Splinter said.

The turtles seemed a bit disappointed, all but Leo, who already had his katana at his side. With some slight groaning, they others did as they were asked and retrieved the weapons from upstairs.

"Can we go now…?" grumbled Raph.

"Cool ya jets Raph." They walked out and Casey locked the door and hid the key under a flower pot next to the steps.

They walked down the trail that led to the lake and were there in a few minutes. Mikey and Don looked at each other, threw down their bags on the shore, pulled off their sun glasses, and jumped off the dock into the lake.

"CANNON BALL!"

An enormous wave irrupted from their contact with the water. They surfaced, throwing splashes of water at each other.

"Heads up Mikey!" Raph called.

He and Casey followed suit and made an enormous splash. Raph landed on Mikey's head and pushed him under water. He resurfaced and slapped water at his brother.

"Chicken fight," Casey announced, diving under the water and lifting Raph on his shoulders.

"Whoa! Dis feels weird man…" he warned.

Don lifted Mikey and they engaged in round one.

On the shore, April helped Master Splinter set up his towel and umbrella. Leo set out his brothers' towels and put their bags beside them with their masks, including his.

"Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm to April.

"Why yes, thank you good sir." April giggled and took his arm.

They walked out onto the dock. With a running start, Leo jump, off the dock into the water. His splash knocked over the chicken fighters.

"LEO!" they yelled upon resurfacing.

He smiled sheepishly and they all glared at him with evil looks.

"GET HIM!"

Leo dove under the water with a yelp as everyone pounced at him.

"Oh boys…."

They all looked up at April on the docks and their jaws dropped. She had removed her sun dress to reveal her peach pink bikini. She had also let her hair down.

"…Goongala…" said Casey in awe.

She took a few steps back, ran to the edge, and dived into the water behind them. She surfaced and smiled with success.

"Three-way chicken fight!" she exclaimed and climbed up on Casey's shoulders.

"All right!" said Raph.

The whole day went on in this way, full of fun, laughter, and every one taking their turn attempting to get Splinter wet. He had made himself comfortable under his umbrella on the beach, just watching the fun. Mikey was the first to try by sneaking up behind him with a pail of water. But as he approached, Splinter swiped his foot under Mikey and knocked him off his feet, causing the pail to spill out all over the fallen turtle. Raph took the direct approach and ran at him from behind, thinking he would throw Splinter in, but was instead flipped into the water himself. Don thought that if he threw a rock into the water to make a splash, it would distract Splinter long enough for his attack. The distraction worked, but he still ended up flipped on his shell.

"You must try harder my sons…" Splinter laughed with amusement.

April and Casey went from both sides with super soakers, but Splinter ducked and they sprayed each other instead. Leo took a crack at it with an idea of throwing a water balloon from a safe distance; to be sure it wouldn't back fire on him. He hid in the bushes and fired! As the balloon neared, Splinter sprung up and hit it back at him with his cane, causing it to burst in Leo's face. "How's that possible?!" sputtered Leo. "Ancient Japanese secret…" replied Splinter, utterly amused.

Finally, all four turtles ran up from behind, lifted, and threw Splinter into the lake. He surfaced and gave them a look that said 'I'll get you in your sleep', but then smiled and laughed with the rest of them.

Lunch time approached and the group hiked back to the house for hot dogs. As they sat out side eating, Splinter approached Leo.

"Come, I wish to speak to you, my son."

Leo sighed and followed him to the clearing beside the house. He knew what his father wanted to talk about.

"I wish I did not have to spoil our fun with this problem my son, but we may be faced with danger."  
"I know sensei. I was hoping this would be a relaxing trip…"

"I understand, my son. Your mind has grown accustomed to facing danger around ever bend."

"What do you wish to do about this Sensei?"

He stared at the ground and pondered this question. The answer he had come up with was one he himself did not enjoy, but it would ensure his sons safety while they stayed here.

"We will have small training sessions to ensure you all are prepared for what you may encounter should the time come. I want you all keep your weapons on you, armed and ready. You will all go off in pairs, and keep your communication open. We cannot be too distant from each other, untill we know what we are facing."

With a sigh, Leo nodded his head. "Should I tell them?"

"Not now. Let them enjoy themselves, and we shall tell them this evening."

Splinter walked away, leaving Leo to think. Why couldn't he be the one to enjoy himself? Why was he the one who always had to be there to make or agree to these types of decisions? Because he was the leader and that's what leaders do. Even now, that restless feeling of danger lurked in his belly. His hopes for overcoming these tense habits were slipping through his fingers. That dream hadn't helped anything either.

He looked into the surrounding woods and secretly hated whoever was out there for ruining this chance, and not letting him have just one break. Was that really too much to ask? He actually had a little fun today. And now it was all over. Feeling defeated, he returned to the others. Someone has to have the hard job, and he handles it better then any of his brothers could.

As evening approached, the turtles settled down in the living room of the cabin to watch one of the new movies April had brought for them. Luckily the new TV had not been damaged. Raphael wasn't really interested in it though.

He sat arms crossed on the end of the couch, thinking of something else. With potential danger in the woods, they would all have to watch their backs, and there was no doubt Splinter would have them do some early morning training because of this. And that wasn't the only thing tugging at him. He looked over at Casey and April curled up together on the loveseat to the right of him. Casey was one lucky bone head; he had someone like April who liked him even though he was a nut case. Even if through some miracle he himself could find someone he could care about like that, would they be able to look past what he was and past his hot-headed personality? He tried to keep himself cool at times, but he could never fully control his anger. It would be nice to find someone strong like him, but soft enough to sort of help balance him out. Like how April's smarts balanced our Casey's stupidness. So many times he blew up in the faces of the people he cared about, and he always regretted it inside. What was wrong with him anyways?

As the movie came to an end, everyone was getting tired and started heading for bed.

Casey helped April clean up the living room. Leo helped master splinter upstairs to his room. Mikey and Don took this advantage to get to the bathroom before anyone else to wash and brush. From his seat on the couch, Raph could hear April and Casey laughing in the kitchen. He walks over and stood in the doorway. He watched them poking fun at each other and throwing soap suds as they did the dishes together. Though he would never admit it, to anyone, that's exactly what he wanted. He secretly always dreamed of a simply life to come home to, of having someone there to greet him with a smile. They cook meals together, settle down to watch TV, he'd help her with Saturday house work. Yeah, that would be nice.

"Ugh. What a sap…" He mumbled to himself. He headed upstairs, kicking himself for being so sappy. That kind of pathetic dream would never come true. He felt like an idiot for even thinking it up.

By ten o' clock everything was neat and tidy, and they all said their goodnights. April went up to the attic to wish the boys goodnight.

"See you in the morning guys," She yawned and headed to her room.

"Night April," they called back.

They all took off their masks and settled in their own beds. Klunk bounded in after them and curled on Mikey's bed. "I buy you a bed, and you never sleep in it." Mikey rolled his eyes and scratched the feline behind his ears.

Splinter came up the stairs to wish his sons good night and get his reading book. Even though his sons where no longer small children, it was still tradition for him to wish each of them good night, as he always did.

"I wish you all pleasant dreams my sons, and get plenty of rest. Tomorrow we will be having a lesson in the morning. It is important to keep your skills sharp."

"Are ya kidding me…?" Raph moaned. He hated being right.

"Aww man!" Mikey whined.

Don just frowned and sighed.

"We must stay on our guard my sons, in case of danger from these strange encounters. It will be a short lesson, one to just keep your skills in check."

"Yes Sensei," Leo said.

Splinter dipped his head and turned off the light, walking down the stairs to his own room.

Raph rolled over towards Leo. "You knew 'bought this?" Leo stared at the ceiling in the darkness. "Yes, and I'm no happier about it than you are. Splinter would have had us do some sort of exercise anyway. "

"Yeah, remember the time we came up here and he had us relax by training blindfolded?" Don said.

"I remember that," Mikey answered. "I never did get to the last level of that game," he continued, referring to the video game he tried to play while training.

"I'm still excited. Me and April are going to go looking for fungi tomorrow." Don stated.

"Oh brother," Mike sighed. "So not my idea of fun…"

Leo smiled a little at his brothers, watching as they all drifted off into sleep, sweet dreams beckoning them. Leo closed his eyes. The dreams which beckoned him far from sweet.

TT

_Leo walked through a dark forest. Fireflies flew around, dancing to a distant melody. He recognized that voice. He'd heard it before. He began to jog in the direction of the song. Jogging soon turned into running. He came into a clearing and stopped. The forest had grown so thick; he could see a path through. He heard a rustling sound behind him. He turned to see trees and bushing springing up from the path that had brought him here, closing him in. He began to panic, he was trapped. Then he heard the voice. He spun around and stopped. It was her. Her raven hair flowing in the breeze. She sat at a piano. She played beautifully. Accompanying the tune was her soft voice, singing in his native language. He felt himself relax. He watched her, listening. The fireflies danced around them gracefully. He gathered his courage and took a step towards her. She abruptly stopped playing. He gulped. She stood up. The fireflies froze in midair; their soft glow turning red, giving his surroundings a threatening feeling. She spun towards him. All he saw was her striking blue eye, a moment before they became blood red. The air swirled around creature that now took her place was viscous, angry, and blood thirsty. It high pitch cries made his ears ring. He held his head. The fireflies dove at him. They burned, like actual fire. Creatures off all kinds came crawling out of the forest; their eyes match those of their mistress. Leo was helpless, confused. He didn't know what to do. Where were his swords?! He cried out. The animals pounced, biking, clawing, and drawing blood. The earth opened and swallowed him. He fell through the darkness._

Leo bolted up with a yelp. He looked around for any danger. There was none. He heard his bothers moan. His cry has disturbed their sleep this time. He looked out the window and saw the sun was just starting to rise. He held his head. He had slept longer that night, but that vision had drained him. He felt as though he hadn't slept at all. He stepped out of bed and left it unmade, heading downstairs. He needed fresh air and a calming cup of hot tea. There was something very, very strange going on out here for him to have such a dream.

He walked into the kitchen_**.**__ Just because I can't relax doesn't mean they shouldn't. I'm not going to worry them with this. I'll find out what's going on and put an end to it before anything bad happens_. He thought to himself, pouring a cup of jasmine tea.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter three: Wishes and Dreams**

Leo sat alone in one of the rocking chairs on the porch, tea cup in hand. Not everyone was awake yet. Splinter had woken up to meditate outside before their morning lesson, and April was up just because she's an early riser. She started on breakfast. He felt his stomach grumble as the smell of bacon and eggs crept out the kitchen window and filled his senses, but he ignored it. The images in his dream were still fresh in his mind. He tried to tie things together, things that had happened in the past two days. He wondered if it had anything to do with the girl he tackled in the woods. He put a hand on his side remembering the encounter. He remembered her eyes. They were blue to, weren't they? Maybe the dream had something to do with whatever trashed the house. He sat there for a half an hour, pondering these thoughts. The door opened and Leo turned to see Raph stretch his arms and take a deep breath of fresh morning air.

"What ya think'n bout' bro?" he asked.

"Nothing." He sipped his tea.

Raph glanced at his brother. "Ya look tired."

"Im fine Raphael." Leo insisted.

"Ya don't gotta tell me if ya don't want ta, just thought I'd pop the question." He stood silent for a moment before walking back inside. "April says breakfast will be ready in a minute or so."

"Thanks Raph."

"Whateva."

Leo finished off his tea and stood up from his rocking chair as Splinter walked up to the house.

"Greetings, my son."

Leo dipped his head in reply. "How was your meditation Sensei?"

"It went very well. And how are you feeling this morning?"

"Ready for your lesson," he replied.

"Good. I hope you rested well."

Leo sighed a rolled his eyes. He didn't rest well at all. He followed Splinter inside, where they were greeted by the sound of shattering glass.

"My bad!" Mikey shouted.

"Mikey, I told said you can't juggle plates with a straw!" Don shouted.

Leo and Splinter shook their heads when they came upon the scene in the kitchen. Mike was cleaning up the broken plate and Don and Raph stood over him with crossed arms.

"Dude, that guy on TV did it just fine."

"Oh Michelangelo…" sighed April. "When will you learn? We barely have enough plate left as it is!" she huffed.

After breakfast was eaten and cleaned up, they all gathered in the back yard for their training. With nothing better to do, April and Casey sat and watched.

"You will be sparing with one another and I will be a distraction. You must fend off your opponent without losing focus." Splinter explained. "Begin!"

At Splinters words they began charging at each other, swinging their weapons through the air.

TT

By noon the turtle's had finished their training and where lying on their shells in the grass.

"I thought ya said this was gonna be a small lesson…" Raph huffed.

"It was," Splinter smirked. "You are free to go have fun. You must all stay in pairs and keep your communication open." He instructed.

"Yes sensei…" They all moaned.

"I can't feel my legs…" Mikey wined.

"We have had worse," Leo tried to sound encouraging. He dusted himself off.

"I can't seem to remember any at the moment, Leo," Don moaned, stretching his arms.

"Yo Mikey, this means you ain't go'n fish'n wid me?" Casey called, fishing gear in hand.

"I can feel my legs again, it's a miracle!" Mikey jumped up and ran over to Casey.

"Where da heck does he get all dat energy?" Raph asked aloud. "I'm gonna jump in da lake," he huffed as he got up and pulled his mask off.

"Don, you still up for foraging?"

"Sure thing, April. Let me go get my field stuff." He got up and stretched his sore muscle. "And an ice pack." He walked into the house.

Leo stood up and stretched his arms.

"What are you going to do my son?" Splinter asked.

"I'm going to hike around the lake. That way Raph and I won't be to far from each other."

"Hmm, I suppose that would be alright." He said, stroking his chin. "Make sure you keep your communication open."

"Of course, sensei." He dipped his head respectfully.

Don returned with his field bag and a notebook. He left his pads inside in their room. He and April left for the woods as Mikey struggled to get out of his own protective gear. He fell flat on his shell trying to pull off his knee pads.

"Leo, will you take these upstairs for me?" He tossed them to his older brother. Leo chuckled.

"Sure, Mikey."

Leo took his little brother's things and watched him and Casey leave for the dock.

"Stay near to Raphael, and enjoy yourself," Splinter said as he passed, following the duo.

"I'll try." Leo replied. "To enjoy myself, I mean." Splinter nodded and Leo headed for the house.

He entered the quiet cabin and walked upstairs, setting Mikey's things on his bed in neat piles. Knowing everyone would be out doing their own activities all day, and not meeting up again till dinner, he quickly made himself a sandwich and took along a bottle of water. He knew a clearing by the lake he could practice in that would allow him to see Raph, but Raph wouldn't see him. Putting his lunch in his beach bag, he headed outside, locking the door behind him.

Once in the woods, he took the scenic route around the lake to the clearing, taking in his surroundings. He could see Splinter and the others through the trees sitting on the dock. Then he crept by Don and April, who where digging through a pile of rotting leaves. It was nice day to walk in the woods and hear the birds chirping. Back home he would walk through Central Park at night from time to time, but it was nothing compared to the real outdoors, in broad daylight.

Arriving at his destination, he looked through the trees and saw Raph toss down his pads and dive into the lake. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. He set down his bag and stood in the middle of the sunny clearing. He folded his hands and stood in mediation. He could hear the leaves rustle with the slow wind, the birds in the trees, even the buzzing of nearby bees gathering nectar. Slowly he began to drown it all out, focusing intently on his invisible enemies surrounding him. In a flash of steel, he ripped out his swords and began dancing through the steps and movements he'd practiced since childhood. The kicks, stabs, spins, and flips of his cottas were all second nature to him, but that didn't mean he could take training lightly. That's when mistakes happen.

TT

On the docks, Splinter, Mike, and Casey all sat in lawn chairs with fishing poles in hand. While Splinter sat calm and quietly, Mike and Casey tapped their fingers and wiggled their thumbs impatiently.

"How long does this take?" Mikey asked.

"The art of fishing takes patience and absolute silence. Two things you find to be a challenge, my son," Splinter teased.

"Don't worry ya shell bout' it Mikey. Dis lake is full a fish. We'll catch som'n," Casey assured.

"This isn't sounding as fun as I thought it would be. I think I'm gonna-WHAAA!"

Suddenly Mikey was pulled out of his chair and off the dock.

"Mikey!" Casey called, dropping his pole.

Mikey screamed a girlish cry as he was pulled through the water in large circles.

"Hang on Mike, we'll get cha'," Casey shouted. "Master Splinter, get the net."

Splinter did as he was told and stood on the edge of the dock with a large fishing net.

"Steer it this way Mikey!" Casey ordered.

"How do you steer a fish?!" He shouted back.

The unseen fish dragged Mike back to the dock by his fishing pole, where Casey reached out and grabbed his arm. Instead of rescuing the turtle, he was pulled in himself. Now both Mikey and Casey were screaming like little girls as this monster pulled them all around the lake.

Finding some amusement in all this, Splinter put down the net and pulled a camera out of Casey's beach bag and began taking snap shots of the pair. After a few shots he chuckled loudly and put the camera back, picking up the net again. Leaning out over the edge of the dock, he waited as the fish came back around. At the last possible moment he stabbed the net into the water and lifted out the biggest catfish any of them had every seen. It flips and wiggles were so strong it knocked Splinter down. The fish then proceeded to jump all over the dock.

"Don't let it get away!" Casey exclaimed as he climbed out of the water. He leaped and tackled the fish, but its slimy scales let it slip from his grasp and it headed toward the water.

Mikey climbed up on the dock and saw his fish getting away.

"Oh no you don't!" He exclaimed. "Your dinner!" He leaped and landed flat on the fish with a thud. It didn't move after that.

"Way da go Mikey!" Casey cheered.

Mikey held the fish above his head in triumph. "Turtle Titan defeats The Crazed Catfish, and the crowd goes wild!"

"Well done, my son!" Splinter praised.

As Mikey basked in his victory, across the lake Raph floated on his shell in the water.  
"We'll never hear da end of dat one either," he said to himself.

He turned over and dived under the water. Out of all his brothers, Raph was the best swimmer, which is why it was all he wanted to do while at the farm house. You can't swim in sewer water the way you can here in the lake. He tried. Not fun.

Swimming down near the bottom, he saw something flash by. It went too quickly for him to see and left him startled. He swam as fast as he could in the direction it went and saw something enter a nearby underwater cave. Thinking he had it cornered, he jetted forward and floated at the entrance. He couldn't believe what he saw! A simple, and very old looking, pond turtle… There was no way in heaven or earth that old thing swam that fast! With an inward sigh, he returned to the surface.

"Must be all da sun I'm get'n," he said floating back on his shell.

Beneath the water, a shadowed figure peered out of the cave, scarring away the old pond turtle. They looked to the surface, watching Raphael, before disappearing back into the cave.

TT

Back in the woods, April and Don rummaged through piles of dead vegetation looking for any fungi or mushrooms to study or catalog for fun. Don lifted up some old pieces of bark and beamed with excitement. Under it was the most amazing example of a bullfrog toadstool he had ever seen! They were extremely rare mushrooms.

"April, look at this!"

She rushed over and gasped.

"Don, that's incredible!"

"And it's in perfect condition. Imagine what we could learn from such a great specimen."

"I bet you could learn a lot." She walked back over to where she was looking before and continued her own search. "I've seen some of those before, way back in my high school biology classes."

"Oh, that's cool…" He tried not to let on his disappointment.

Although April was just as interested science as he was, most of the things he was just discovering in the open world, she already knew about, and didn't show much interest in learning about them again with him. What he would give to have someone to learn new things with; someone he could talk to about his ideas and discoveries. He had his brothers, but they wouldn't sit through a national geographic video or a recorded lecture on Nano technology. He loved learning from, and with April. She taught him a lot, but it was always something she already knew about, and her fascination was never at the same level as him. Once you already know how something works, it's not as much fun to take apart. He wished for someone who would truly share in his passion for discovery. But of course, that's impossible. The odds of such a thing happening were not in his favor. He learned to accept that fact. It would never happen, so he ignored the thought and continued carefully digging up the toadstool and putting it in a jar. Besides being very rare, it was also a very pretty fungus, with purple spots that shimmered.

As the day light dimmed down, everyone met back at the house with their belongings and new-found treasures. Leo walked up with his beach bag trying not to look tired. After he was through training, he had taken off his pads and put them in his bag; that way he wouldn't be questioned about why he was still wearing them.

"Hey guys, look what I caught for dinner!" Mikey exclaimed as he walked up with his prized catfish.

"That's a big fish." Said Leo.

"There's no way ya caught dat on ya own." Said Raph, already knowing he did.

"I sure did bro! My hook, my pole, I'm the one who belly flopped on him, so I caught him." He said proudly.

"How did you two do?" asked April.

"Not as good as Mikey, but we did okay." Said Casey holding up a line of smaller fish.

"It was most enjoyable." Said Splinter. "How was your hike in the woods Leonardo?"

"It went well Master."

"And your swim Raphael?"

He shrugged. "Eh. It was okay."

"And did you and April find anything of interest Donatello?"

He held up the jar containing the toad stool. "One thing worth looking at, not much else though."

"I am pleased you all enjoyed yourselves." He smiled.

"Ya, ya, we all had fun. Now what ya say we get Mikes fish cooking?" asked Casey.

"Okay Casey, I'll bring the grill around and you go get some wood." April said with a smirk.

"But we ain't got no wood. I'd have ta cut down a tree and restock the wood shed."

"Better get started." She grinned innocently and headed for the house.

"Crud." He said as he headed for the barn.

"Dats what ya get for not restocking it before we got here." Raph pointed out.

Casey glared at him before heading for the barn.

"Um April, you could just use coal." Said Don.

"I know, but where's the fun in that?" she giggled. "We need wood for bonfires anyways. Plus, he was supposed to have already had plenty of wood cut. It's his own fault."

They all headed in the house. Leo took his things up stairs. Coming back down he announced, "I'm gonna go and help Casey, and make sure he stays out of trouble."

"Okay Leo." April replied from the kitchen. "Raph, you want to help me cut up the fish?" she asked.

"With pleasure..." He walked into the kitchen, picked up the knives, and started sharpening them with an excited grin. "I'll do Mikey's fish." He said.

As Raph skinned and chopped up Mikey's fish, Michelangelo himself was upstairs going through his duffle bag looking for something.

"Found it!" he exclaimed to himself.

He ran down stairs with a new video game that he hadn't even opened yet.

"Hey Raph, you want to play with me? I haven't even opened it yet." He mused.

"I'm a little busy right now Mike." He said pointing to the fish he was gutting.

"Yuck, that's' nasty!"

"Get ova it. It's ya dinner." He said plainly.

Mikey huffed and went to the living room where Splinter and Don were sitting at the large table beside the kitchen door.

"Hey Don, wanna play with me?"

"Im busy right now bro. I'm studding this toad stool me and April found today." He said looking up from his microscope. "It's got mold growing on it and I'm trying to identify it."

"Again, yuck." He looked over at Master Splinter, but then remembered, it was Master Splinter. He didn't even know how to answer a shell cell the right way, let alone play a video game. "Where's Leo?" he asked, perking up.

"Out side helping Casey cut wood." Said Don.

"Oh." Feeling disappointed, Mikey sat on the couch.

It wouldn't be any fun to open his new game and have no one to play it with. He wished he had some one who loved to play and have fun all the time. Some times his brothers where to busy to hang out, or just didn't want to, so he would be left on his own.

With a sigh, he picked up a sketch book he had left on the couch from the night before and his pencil. Though he wasn't that good at it, he enjoyed sketching up his ideas from time to time. He liked to draw super heroes and action comics. He would never show it to his brother though. Last time they saw him drawing a picture, it was one of all of them as super heroes, and he got laughed at for it.

It would be nice to have someone who would appreciate his imagination. Not only that, but she would be perky, a little spunky, and totally cute. She'd laugh at all his jokes, and think he was the greatest thing since deep fried Twinkies. They'd play games, watch movies, and he would teach her how to skate board. He'd take her on the best dates of her life and they'd eat extra cheesy cheese pizza together, on the roof top above his favorite pizzeria. And he'd take her roof top jumping. She'd ride in his back and cling to him for dear life every time he jumped an ally. That would be a dream come true; to have a one of a kind girlfriend all his own.

He sighed happily, smiling ear to ear, reclining on the couch. But, then he thought, not all dreams do come true. His smiled vanished. He knew this better than anyone. "Bummer…" He sighed. All he could do now was doodle out his dreams for what it was worth.

TT

Outside, Leo met up with Casey behind the barn.

"Hey Casey." He greeted. "Need any help?"

"Hey Leo. Not much right now, but you could gather some starter wood, sticks n' stuff. I'll just take down one of da small trees back here, we grow em for dat." He started revving up his chainsaw.

"Okay." Leo started into the near by woods. He wouldn't go far, making sure to honor Master Splinter request to stay in pairs.

He began picking up small sticks and chunks of bark he found on the ground, when he heard a strange sound. It was quiet and sounded distant, and even a little familiar. He looked around for its source, but there was none. He turned toward the lake and could hear it a little louder. That's where it was coming from, the lake. He looked back towards the house. He could hear Casey with the chainsaw, and it was already dark, but this sound could have something to do with the potential danger lingering here. So he decided to follow it just a little farther. He wouldn't be long, and Casey wouldn't notice he wasn't near. Setting down his armful of twigs, he walked in the direction of the sound. As he got closer, he could hear it was singing, accompanied by the plucking of a harp. This made him more curious, so he quickened his pace. He could hear the words more clearly now. Someone was singing.

"_I lose my way, no one cares."  
"The words I say, no one hears."  
"My life it seems"  
"Is a world of dreams."_

_"Deep in the night, you'll find me."  
"Dream and you're right behind me."  
"Stay, if you will stay"  
"We'll dream the night away."_

The voice was soft and smooth. He knew he had heard it before, it was so very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was almost mesmerizing. It was as if he was being drawn to it, like some unknown force was pulling him. The evening air was getting humid, probably because they were expecting rain that night. He had to be quick or he would be caught in it.

_"Dreams to dream in the dark of the night"  
"When the world goes wrong, I can still make it right"  
"I can see so far in my dreams"  
"I'll follow my dreams"  
"Until they come true."_

As Leo approached the lake he saw it was fogged up, and that made it hard to see, but the moon was full and provided enough light for him to make out the source of this song. He felt his heart leap from his chest. I was a girl. Yes, he could see her silhouette against the moon light. She sat on the raft that floated in the mild of the lake and looked up at the stars as her sweet voice was carried to him on the cool evening breeze. She was playing a small harp that she cradled in one arm. A strange sensation rippled through his body. He closed his eyes, listening. Why was this all so familiar?

"_There is a star waiting to guide us"  
"Shining inside us when we close our eyes!"  
"Come with me, you will see what I mean,"  
"There's a world, inside, no one else ever sees."  
"You will go so far in my dreams",  
"Somewhere in my dreams,"  
"Your dreams will come true."_

"_Don't let go, if you stay close to me" _

"_In my dreams tonight, you will see what I see"  
"Dreams to dream, as near as can be"  
"Inside you and me, that always come true,"  
"Inside you and me, that always come true."._

SPLASH!

His eyes shot open as ripples spread through the water. She was gone! Where did she go? In the water? She would have to surface, right? He stepped from the shadows and into the pale moonlight. Why hadn't she surfaced? He waded out into the shallows, scanning the lakes surface for any sign of her. As he stood knee deep in water, he began to wonder if he had imagined. Maybe it was just a fish that had made the splash. But she was there, he knew he saw her. He couldn't have imagined that.

He didn't see her clearly. He hadn't been able to make out her features, but against the moon, she looked like some thing enchanted and magical, who ever she was. She seemed like a misty dream, like the one he had last night…

Leo gasped at his realization. A girl on a misty lake. An enchanting song. Could she be the mysterious muse in his dream? It had to be, but what could that mean? Unlike tonight's encounter, his dreams hadn't ended so well. His head was spinning. Could he have just had another vision? Maybe she wasn't real at all?

He let out a deep sigh, trying to calm himself. He suddenly relised how expose he was out in the open, and quickly ran back to the woods. He decided to return to the farm house before he was missed and any one started worrying about him.

As he walked up to the house, his mind played back the images over and over. That sweet voice, singing more beautifully each time he played it through in his mind. How could a voise, a song, have such an effect on him? He had hear thousands of somgs over his life time. What made this singer any different? He was so lost in thought he didn't hear April great him.

"Hey Leo, how'd the wood chopping go?" she asked as he passed her and Raph and went strait upstairs.

He played his dreams over and over comparing it to tonight's events and he became more and more convinced they were connected.

"What does it mean?" he thought aloud. He made it to the attic and sat down in his bed. He stared out the window, completely lost in thought.

"What was that all about?" asked Mikey aloud, still sitting at the table down stairs.

"Don't know. He didn't seem to hear us." Said April.

"His mind was in another place." Said Splinter from his chair in the living room.

"He's just be'n Leo. Don't get ya self's all work up about' it." Said Raph with a huff.

Casey came huffing through the door with an arm full of freshly cut wood.

"Here ya' go babe…" he sighed, falling on his back from exhaustion."Ouch!" he exclaimed as the wood fell on him.

They all laughed aloud as poor Casey's pain.

TT

That night, while the others slept soundly, Leo tossed and turned.

_He stood at the edge of the lake. He looked around. That's all there was, just a lake. The rest was fog, so thick you couldn't see anything beyond. It was silent. The lake water was unnaturally still. He looked into it, he saw his reflection perfectly. Then glowing white eyes began to appear beneath the surface. The water wasn't disturbed by them at all. He stepped back. Then, he heard the strumming of a guitar. He turned, and there she was again; black hair, white gown, a sash over her shoulders. Her back was to him as she strummed her guitar. She sang yet again in his tongue, the voice was so frustratingly familiar. But he couldn't put a name to it. Like a fool, he stepped forward, and reached out for her. This time, there was no hesitation. She turned and he barely had time to recognize her blues eyes before they became that threatening red. Creature came crawling from the lake, surrounding him. Why was this happening? Where were his weapons? Why was he defenseless against these attacks? Why couldn't he stop them? He turned back to her, no, towards the monstrosity that took her place. Deformed, misshapen, it loomed over head. The animals attacked, and the creature lunged towards him. He screamed and fell. Fell into darkness. Falling through the endless void almost came as a relief, but this time it followed him. It grabbed him. He wasn't going to make it out!_


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four: **

Leo woke with a jolt the next morning starring up at the ceiling. He held back his fearful cry. Instead he whimpered. He felt so tired, so frustrated at this recurring event. He could hear the early birds quiet chirps, and turned to see water drops on the window from the morning fog. With a sigh he rolled out of bed and onto his feet. As he stretched his arms out, he stood there looking out the window at the beautiful morning. He found himself not taking in the scenery, or admiring the sun rise, but instead wondering if they were all being watched. He wondered if danger would show its ugly head today, or the next. He thought about his dream and what it could mean, who that girl was, and how it might all be connected. He was up half the night thinking about it before he had fallen asleep, only to have her haunt him yet again. She might have also been the one he had encountered in the woods, if they were the same person.

His side didn't hurt any more, but the bruise, though faint, still lingered. His visions remained a mystery. He was so confused. Hearing shuffling down stairs, he realized April must have already gotten up and was starting to prepare breakfast. Walking down stairs he greeted her with a friendly smile. Glad to see a familiar and welcoming face.

"Good morning April."

"Oh, morning Leo. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, just fine." He lied.

"You look like you could stand to go a little longer." She giggled. "Wanna give me a hand?" she said waving a spatula.

"Sure thing." He smiled and took the spatula from her.

He helped her with the cooking as the others began to awake and started getting ready for whatever they planned to do that day. If Raph went swimming again, Leo planned to go back to the clearing and train some more. If not, then he would meditate wherever he went with one of his brothers, depending who his buddy was. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to engage in any other activity with the others. He would be too concerned with the potential threat around them and be consumed by his own thoughts.

It didn't take long for the others to awake and make their way down stairs. Breakfast was dished out and they discussed their plans for the day.

"Okay, so we all got it planned out." Said Don to everyone at the table. "Mike, Raph, Casey and April are all going swimming, Splinter and me are going to play chess on the beach, and, what are you doing Leo?" he asked as Leo.

"Um, I'm going back in the woods for another hike, right by the lake."

"Oh. Well okay then, we'll all meet back here for lunch. Everyone got it?" Don looked around the table.

"Crystal dude." Said Mikey through a mouthful of egg.

"Stay close to the lake on your walk Leonardo." warned Splinter. "And keep your communication open." The old rat knew how his son was really planning to spend his afternoon. He was a little uneasy about him being away from the group, but he trusted Leo wouldn't go too far off. He also felt he needed to blow of some steam, so to speak. He sense he was stressed, perhaps more so. He decided he would approach him later and talk to him about it.

"Yes Master Splinter."

Breakfast was over quickly and their morning training went even quicker since they were so eager to get to their fun. Everyone gathered up their beach things, respected weapons, and walked down to the lake, while Leo waited up stairs for them to leave. Once they were gone he put on his pads and swords, and headed to the clearing. Once he arrived, he wasted no time in tying on his mask and unsheathed his swords. Taking a battle stance he stood in silence for a moment. He could hear every sound around him; birds, squirrels, rustling leaves, the others laughing and splashing in the distance. He opened his eyes and swung his weapons through the air. Again he performed all he knew in his art from flips, stabs, strikes, and slashes, to dodges, kicks, and defenses; everything Splinter had taught him and more. But this time, he had a face to put to his imaginary enemies'. He could see the monster from his visions. And he fought it with everything he had.

TT

At the lake, Don sat with Splinter on the beach as they started on their first game.

"Master Splinter, do you think there's something going on with Leo? He seemed a bit distracted this morning, and was acting strange last night."

Splinter thought for a moment before responding. "I believe your brother is troubled by the unknown around us. He takes on the burden of worry. I fear he will not enjoy himself as much as you and the others are. It is, a habit he has developed, one that keeps his senses alert. It is a good quality in a ninja, but he is unable to see when things are truly safe and let himself be at ease."

"Isn't there something we can do to fix that? Some way we can help him keep from having his fun ruined by being worried about something that might not even be a real threat? I mean, for all we know a bear or something could have gotten into the house. Though that seems highly illogical given the point of entry…" He trailed off. "And he was attacked by someone in the woods."

"I believe the answer to that lies elsewhere. We are not the ones who can help him overcome this fear and worry of what may be hiding in the shadows."

"Then who can?" Don hung his head. He was worried about his brother. He hadn't really been himself sine they got to the farm house.

"Perhaps we will find the answers here…" he said making his next move.

He turned slowly toward forest and looked deep into the woods. He could feel it, the energy in the air. It made his fur ruffle. Something was going to happen today; something important. There was a strange presence about. It was neither threatening, nor reassuring. He had felt it since they first arrived. Since then, it had been drawing closer to him and his sons. Today especially, that presence was very strong. It was mixed in with the twisted energies he felt in Leonardo that morning. He hadn't thought too much on it then, but now he was feeling more concerned. He inhaled deeply. There was a familiar scent in the air.

TT

In the clearing, Leo found himself getting tired from his lack of proper sleep and sweating from the hot summer sun. Sheathing his swords he sat under a nearby tree and removed his mask, using it to wipe his brow. He decided now was a good time to meditate, so he folded his legs and breathed deeply, slowing his heart rate. As his mind began to clear, he thought once again about his dream, the girl in the woods, and the girl on the lake. The lake girl was defiantly the one from his dream, but the other may or may not tie into this. It was very possible they were the same person, but he had his doubts. And then there was the monstrous beast. Was it meant to symbolize a great danger from this seemingly harmless individual that always came before it? He thought maybe it was a good time to tell Splinter about it.

…

Somewhere not far away, a figure walked through the bushes in the forest. They were stalking, nearing the clearing where Leo sat. They peered through the thick bush, trying to see the stranger sitting beside the tree. They wore a hooded, camouflaged jacket.

…

After resting for a while, Leo got up and readied himself to continue his training. Taking a breath, he swung his sword and plunged into another set of cottas. He didn't get very far into his exercises when he felt a strange and all too familiar sensation; a tingle down his spine. He was being watched.

He paused for a moment. He stood perfectly still and listened to every sound around him. There was someone out there. Friend or foe? He was leaning towards the later. Not wanting to let the unseen spectator know he was on to them, Leo began to go through the motions of a basic cotta. He performed it slowly, allowing himself to search the surrounding woods. Then, he heard a small rustle. There! He spun around and dashed towards the thicket. Before they had time to blink, Leo had sliced through the brush and held his blade to the enemies' throat. Not a moment later, the hostility in Leos eyes vanished, turning to shock and disbelief as his sword fell from his hand. Those eyes. Those haunting blue eye were starring right into his.

It all came together. The stranger that ran from the cabin, the girl turned monster in his dream, and the muse on the lake all shared the eyes that belonged to the creature standing before him. This was her. A mutant! A mutant girl!

He stepped back slowly, lowering the weapon in his other hand. He allowed himself to look her up and down. Her skin was a soft grass green. She had yellow stripes starting at her eye ridges continuing down her cheeks; sort of like a vertical eye mask. Her raven black hair was French braided and pulled to the side. She wore a large camouflage jacket and cut off shorts. Her feet were bare, revealing the dull claws on her three toes, and her long tail was wrapped around her left leg. It had dark green spots running down the center. She had backed into a tree, pressing herself against it.

At first, she seemed a shocked and surprised as he was. Then, her expression changed. It softened. She seemed to be searching him for something, wondering what to make of him. She pulled her eyes away from him and looked down at the sword he held loosely in his hand.

"You're…a mutant." He said in awe.

She looked back up at him, back into his eyes. Leo felt a chill run through him. What was behind those eyes that made react in such a way? At that moment they both heard screaming coming from the lake? Leo spun towards the sound.

"April!" he said with concern.

Taking advantage of his distraction, the mutant girl took off running into the forest.

"Wait!" Leo shouted. He was about to pursue her, when he heard April scream again. Then his brother began to shout. They were in trouble! He turned to the forest, the girl was gone. He growled in frustration. He grabbed his sword off the ground, slung his bag over his shoulder and dashed off towards the lake. His family needed him, and he would make sure whatever was threatening them would get the beating of a life time for ruining his chance for answers.

He ran as fast as he could, slicing through the brush and limbs, letting nothing stand in his way. He began berating himself up for not being with his family when they needed him. How could he have been so selfish? So focused on keeping his skills in check that he abandoned the people he was working to protect. He prayed he wouldn't be too late. Finally, he burst from the forest onto the beach.

"April!" He called, panic in his voice.

His eyes darted around the area, looking for the attacker. But, there was none.

April continued her frantic cries as his brothers and Casey attempted to calm her down. Casey held her from behind.

"Calm down babe! Donnies gonna get it off." He tried to speak calmingly.

"Just get it off!" she shouted, cringing.

"Leeches don't come off easy April." Don said quickly. "We need to get some salt from the house." He examined he leach stuck to poor Aprils' belly.

Leo starred at the group, who had yet to notice his presence, in dumped founded shock before all hell broke loose.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" He screamed, stabbing his swords into the sand.

The others turned to him, startled. "Leonardo! Your language!" Splinter scolded.

Leo stormed up to them. "I came rushing in as fast as I could, frantic as hell, panicking, thinking you were all in danger and about to be killed by who knows what, and I find your screaming your head off over a stupid parasite?!" he shouted.

April leaned back into Casey, shaken and taken back by Leo's outburst.

"Do you have any idea what you all just put me through?! What I just lost?! Now I'll never know why! I'll never get the answers!" he continued to shout.

"Leo!" Raph stepped in between him and the frightened couple. "I'm the hot head around here, not you! Calm down already!"

Leo balled his fits and gritted his teeth. The girl had run away. He had held his sword to her throat, intending to attack. She had those eyes. She was gone now and he doubted he would ever see her again after presenting himself as such a threat.

"My son." Leo turned to Splinter. "This is extremely unlike you. What has happened? What has troubled you so that you would react this way?"

Leo looked at his family, all keeping their distance and looking lost and confused. He caused that. He let his emotions run wild. How could he blow up at them like that. This wasn't him. It was that girl, the dreams, the sleepless nights. It was starting to catch up with him. "I, I'm so sorry…" he lowered his head. "I just… I'm so confused…" He fell to his knees, holding his head. Splinter approached, placing a hand on his sons shoulder. He could sense the twisted energy, the restlessness with in Leo. He looked to the others.

"Raphael, take the other back to the house so Donatello can help April." He calmly instructed. "We will join you shortly."

"Yes sensei…" Raph could recognize a serious situation when he saw one, and Leo being brought to his knees was pretty serious alright. He ushered everyone towards the path to the cabin.

Splinter looked down at his son. Leo looked up. "Im so sorry, father… I have acted shamefully. I should have controlled myself…"

"My son, I have sensed a disturbance in you for some time now. You have a longing that cannot be fulfilled. Since we came to this place, you have not been yourself. You have been plagued by something. I know you think you are strong enough to hold yourself up, but true strength comes from admitting weaknesses."

Leo sighed. "I have, been plagued by dreams. Since the first night, I have had strange visions that I cannot explain. I have not been able to sleep through the night. I am worried about the unknown around us. I've been training in the forest, so that I could be ready for anything that may happen." He looked out towards the lake. "I think, I just pushed myself too far."

Splinter sat in front of Leo. "Tell me of you visions."

Leo sat up straight and took a deep breath. "The dreams are all different, but they have the same outcome. I hear music, I see a girl, I see her eyes; at first their very beautiful, then they becoming threatening, and filled with murderous intent. She then transforms into a beast. Its roar is, haunting. Then I'm attacked. First it's by these creatures I can never identify, then the beast will lung. I'm unarmed, always helpless to stop it. Then I fall through a black void, and wake up."

Splinter listened intently. He was quietly, pondering Leonardo's words. He tried to fit all the pieces together. "I am not certain of the meaning behind your nightmares, my son. But I know that you fear for you family; for you loved ones safety. Since we arrived, you have been uneasy. No one knows what caused the distraction in house. Or who it was that attacked you. You are your brothers' leader. You feel responsible for their safety. I fell I have put too much pressure on you. As your master, as your father, I should be the one consumed with worry for my children." He gave his sons hand a gentle squeeze.

Leo sighed.

"Do not feel as though you have let me or your brothers down, Leonardo. You have done so much for them, for all of us. It is your time to be care free. I wish to put your mind at ease. I will be the one to worry and watch. When we return to the farm house, I want you to go to bed. You need much rest. And tomorrow, you will not go into the woods to train. You will remain with the rest of us. Then you will be here should anything happen, and perhaps be able to enjoy yourself…"

"Yes Sensei…" Leos head hung low. He was ashamed, but he was so tired he just didn't care. Three day without proper sleep had taken its toll.

Splinter stood and placed on hand on Leos shoulder. "Come." He said softly. They walked back to the farm house together, where the others were waiting.

TT

Back at the house, April sat on the kitchen counted while Donatello poured salt on the leech. He then gently removed it from the squeamish woman.

"There, all done." He proceeded to dispose of the parasite and bandage her wound.

Casey stood beside her. Raph and Mikey sat at the table. The room was pretty quiet. Then Mike spoke up hesitantly.

"So, anybody else wondering what up with Leo?"

Donnie sighed. "I knew something was bothering him, but I didn't expect him to pull a Raph on us."

"Hey." Raph glared, then huffed. "Yeah, your right."

"He looked pretty tired this morning, but I didn't think there was anything really wrong with him." April added.

"Dis just aint like em." Casey added as well.

There was silence for another moment, before they heard the front door open. They all filed into the living room as Leo proceeded up stairs, head hung low.

"Master Splinter, is Leo alright?" April worriedly asked.

Splinter turned to the group. "He will be just fine. He has been so worried about the strange event surrounding our arrival, that he has not been able to rest well. He has been training in the forest, aiming to be prepared for anything. He has simple over worked himself and needs rest."

"Is dat all?" Raph asked skeptically.

Splinter nodded. "He's going to rest for the day, and tomorrow we will all spend a relaxing day out doors. Not training."

"Sweet! Gonna sleep in!" said Mikey excitedly.

The others rolled their eyes.

"Well, I'll get dressed and get dinner going I guess." Said April, heading up stairs.

The other dispersed throughout the house to do their own thing.

TT

Upstairs, Leo fell into bed and starred at the ceiling. He was almost afraid to try and fall asleep. He knew another nightmare would be waiting for him. Nevertheless, he closed his eyes and let sleep over take him.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five: Meeting, Her…**

The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and spirits were high. Casey stood at the grill in the back yard, grilling up some fish from the other day for lunch. Mikey and Don played Frisbee on the lawn while splinter sat in a lawn chair watching. Raph was digging a pit for the bonfire they were planning for that night. Leo came out with April, carrying plates to set the picnic table. Splinter look up from his chair.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Leonardo?" he asked with a smile.

Leo smiled back. "Yes Sensei, very much so."

"Very good." He leaned back and made himself comfortable.

It was only a half truth. He had another nightmare last night; this one involving a violin and the same monster. It ended the same way. Not wanting to cause another scene and just being fed up, he went ahead and took a sleeping pill. It had knocked him out like he had hope. He was able to sleep through the night. But this didn't solve the problem. Still, he was determined to enjoy himself today. He needed his brothers to know everything was alright.

"Hey Leo, wanna play?" Called Mikey, waving the Frisbee at him.

"Sure."

While Leo happily joined his brothers in their game, April was setting up a radio on the table. After popping in the batteries, she took a CD out of its case and placed it inside. Reading the back of the case, she skipped to a song she thought would be interesting. Leo threw the neon disc as the music began to float around the yard.

"What a beautiful melody." Splinter commented.

As the song reached Leos ears, he froze. His eyes widened and his head slowly turned towards the radio.

That song.

That voice.

He had heard it before; on the lake, accompanied by a harp. He was so focused on the device; it took the Frisbee colliding with his head for him to be drawn out of his shocked thoughts.

He stumbled back with a yelp, holding his head.

"Leo!" Don called. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah…" He walked over to table, ignoring the toy. "April… Who's singing that song?" He voice was shaking slightly.

She looked at him a bit confused, and a little worried. "Hanako Megumi. Why?"

Leo blinked a few times, trying to put it all together. "But, she's a made up singer, in Japan… She's not real, so how can that be…?"

"Leo…?" She asked cautiously. "You okay?"

Splinter stood from his chair as Mikey and Donnie walked up.

Leo shook his head. "Um, yeah. I'm fine. It's just, I heard that song before…"

"Well, she was playing the CD on the way up." Said Don.

"Does this trouble you, my son?" Splinter asked quietly.

"No Sensei." Leo quickly shook it off. He so didn't need this right now. But, why did he hear this same song come out of the mouth of the girl he saw at the lake. Their voices were the same. Exactly the same! And in his dreams… They were all the same! Before Leo could put anymore thought into it, a soccer ball met his head.

"Hey!" He shouted, holding his head again.

"Wadda we all stand'n around for?" Raph asked plainly. He walked over to the group and picked up the ball. "Don, Mikey, go long!"

The duo did as they were told. They ran to their corners, smiles on, ready to go.

"Come on Leo!" Raph called. "Let's do this ninja style!" With that, he threw the ball. It sped through the air towards the blue clad turtle. Leo's instinct took over and blocked, sending it in Donatello's direction. Don round housed it towards Mikey.

"Alright!" the young turtle beamed excitedly. Hey jumped and kicked, sending it back towards Raphael, who then kicked it back to Leo.

"I love it when they do this." April giggled, sitting on the table to watch.

"Eh, bunch a show offs." Casey huffed, flipping filets.

The game went on. Leo was getting into it, the smile returned to his face as his brothers challenged him. Raph naturally took it too far and sent the sphere towards his brother at a threatening speed. Leo reacted and blocked it, sending it skyward.

"I got it! I got it!" Mike exclaimed, rushing towards the ball. Demonstrating one of his favorite moves, he back flipped and made contact, sending the ball soring over the house.

"GOAL!" he shouted excitedly, following it up with a victory dance.

"Nice one Mikey!" April cheered.

"Yeah, good shot." Raph said dryly. "Now fetch." He pointed towards the front yard.

Mikey glared at him. "You're just jealous." He stuck his tongue out.

"That's mature." Don commented.

Leo chuckled. "I'll get it." He jogged towards the front of the house.

"I'm glad to see he's enjoying himself." April smiled.

"Yes. It is good to see my sons playing together. It reminds me of our younger years." The old rat smiled at the thought. "Although their games were not ideal for our small home. So many broken things…" He shook his head. April laughed.

Leo scanned the front yard for the missing ball. He spotted it near the dirt driveway. As he approached and leaned down to pick it up, he saw something move out the corner of his eye. He slowly stood up and scanned the surrounding woods. Nothing was there. As he turned to leave, he felt it.

He was being watched.

He quickly spun around and searched again. Then he saw her, peering out from behind a tree; the sunlight catching in her blue eyes.

"You!" He exclaimed.

Knowing she had been spotted, she darted into the forest.

"Wait!" without thinking, Leo threw down the ball and ran after her.

He caught up with her, but seeing she was being followed, she quickened her pace. She was getting away. She moved gracefully through the thick brush of the forest, bounding and leaping with ease. She was much faster and just as slick the foot ninja's back home. She ran through the woods' obstacles as if they weren't even there. He was having a hard time keeping up and was falling farther behind, but he pushed himself to speed up. Weaving through street alleys' and leaping roof tops was much different compared to the unpredictable layout of the land. She was leading him deeper into unexplored territory; away from all hope of reinforcement should he get in trouble. He didn't care. He couldn't let her get away again.

She looked over her shoulder and saw he was still there and not that far behind. It was impressive, even though he stumbled and jumped awkwardly over roots and bushes.

They entered a clearing and he quickly increased his speed, lessening the distance between them. Seeing he was catching up, and getting a hang of weaving through the brush, she grabbed a low branch and swung herself into a tree.

He hesitated for a moment, stopping below the tree and looked up at her. She glanced back at him before leaping higher up into the branches, weaving through them acrobatically. He pulled himself up into the tree as well and continued his chase. He followed as they jumped from limb to limb, from one tree to another. This was much easier for him, but she seemed to know exactly where she was going. He didn't know how long they had been running. They went between running on the ground and leaping through the trees. He was falling behind again. Beginning to feel frustrated, Leo sped up, pushing himself, determined to end this game of cat and mouse. He climbed higher into the trees.

By now they were so deep into the woods they had hit the pine trees and evergreens. The girl looked back and was surprised to see she was no longer being followed. She stopped and jumped to the ground surveyed the area. Her pursuer was nowhere to be seen. Then, she felt it. She looked up into the tree she stood beneath a moment too late as Leo came down. With a surprised yelp she jumped back from the tree, tripping over bushes and roots. She fells down a slope into a leafy ditch with a thud.

"Ouch!" She sat up slowly and rubbed her head. She looked up as Leo slid down the slope into the ditch. She began to back away.

"Please, don't run! I'm not going to hurt you. I only want to talk" He said quickly, still trying to catch his breath.

She stopped and looked up at him.

"Please." He calmed his breathing. "I just want to talk…"

She slowly rose to her feet. They stood in silence. The only sounds heard were that of the wind through the trees and a bird's chirp. Leo gave her a quick look over. Her hair was braided the same as before. She wore a peach colored tank top and pair of khaki shorts. She was bare foot, but had a beaded anklet on her right ankle.

He brought his gaze back to her face, and their eyes met; those stunning blue eyes. They were so clear, so exotic, and haunting. He half expected her to melt away and be replaced by that monster, but she stood relaxed, letting him look at her. Her expression was soft and calm. She had nothing to fear. Her tail swayed contently. Then she slowly smiled at him.

Leo blinked. He never pictured a smile. Suddenly, the haunting gaze and horrific beast seemed to disappear. Her smile was so warm. He hadn't really noticed how, pretty she was. Quickly gathering his thoughts, he stood up straight, and cleared his throat. This was it.

"I am Leonardo Hamato." He said calmly. She blinked, waiting for him to go on. He hesitated. "Who, who are you?"

She spoke soft, but clear. "My name is Melody. Melody Brooks. It's a pleasure to meet you, Leonardo."

Leo relaxed. "It's, a pleasure to meet you too, Melody." There were a few moments of silence before she spoke again.

"I'm, sorry I ran. I was afraid I had startled you again. I didn't want to have my head sliced off." Her smile became sheepish, referring to their last encounter.

Leo frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you. I was startled."

"I know, and I'm sorry I startled you. I was so focused on watching you that I guess I wasn't paying attention. I'm normally very stealthy." She replied with a shrug.

"Why were you watching me?" He let his voice drop to a more serious tone.

She took a similar tone. "I had never seen someone like you or your companions before. I was curious, and I wanted to know if you posed a threat."

"My companions? You've been watching all of us?" Leo was a bit surprised.

"Yes…" her tailed twitched a bit nervously. "Like I said, I was curious, and didn't know if you were good guys or bad guys, for lack of a better term. I never meant you any ill will." She smiled.

Leo thought back. "No, I don't believe you did…" Though he had assumed the presence he felt was that of an enemy, he never thought to explore the possibility they it might not have been. He had just been to focused on being ready to strike. He hadn't taken time to consider all the possibilities.

She cleared her throat. "So, Leonardo, what brings you out here? To the country I mean." She began climbing out of the ditch.

"Uh, vacation." He replied, following her lead.

"I guess that as good a reason as any. The weather's great up here in the summer." Once on solid ground, she dusted herself off and turned towards him. "The others, I assume they're your family?"

"Yes, my brothers." She had a very pleasant demeanor about her. She was very friendly. But those eyes, and his dreams; how were they connected? What drew him to her? What did all this mean? "Melody, how are you here?"

She looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Leo thought. "How did you, come to be?"

"Oh, you mean the whole being a lizard thing. I was wondering the same thing about you." She sat down on an old tree stump, and curled her tail around her left leg. "I wish I had the answer myself. I don't know exactly where I came from. My father's story is that he found me as a baby, abandoned in some old retention pond."

"You father? There are more of you?" he was both surprised, and almost bit excited.

She nodded. "Yes. I live out here with my mother, father, older brother and three sisters of varying ages." She counted off on her fingers.

"Are they all-"

"Mutants?" She finished. "No. Only my sisters are. My brother and our parents are very much human. Why don't you take a seat?" she motioned to a fallen tree, adjacent to her. Leo glanced at it and decided it might be a good idea. He suspected their conversation would be a long one.

"Where do you all live?" He asked, taking his seat.

She thought for a moment. "I'd say about eight to ten miles up the road. We live in a cabin pretty deep in the woods. Its on private property that you'd never know was there. We sort of planned it that way, ya know?"

"Yeah, that would make sense. You're pretty far from home then. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I do a lot of hiking. I'm an outdoors kinda girl. I take pretty long walks and go running. I happened to be down here and near the lake when you were all swimming the other day." She explained.

"And, is that the first time you saw us?" He thought back to people who had been in the yard the day they arrived. That girl had the same eyes.

"Yes." She answered simply. He didn't know if he believed her, but he thought it best not to press it. "Where do you live?" she asked.

"New York City." He answered.

"Really?" He leaned forward curiously. "We use to live in the city. It's not easy. How do you guys manage it?"

"Well, we live in the sewers." He explained. She gave him a look of disbelief and slight disgust. If he wasn't focused on other things, he might have thought the way her nose crinkled was kind of cute. "Believe me, it's not as bad as it sounds." He chuckled a bit. "We made adjustments and it's a great home, for what it's worth. Donnie's amazing with a tool box."

"One of your brothers?" She asked.

"Yeah, Donatello. He's got all the technical smarts. He's the reason we have proper plumbing, and cable."

"What are your brothers like?" She asked eagerly.

He thought for a moment. "Well, Donnie is then smart one. Then there's Michelangelo. He's the youngest and a very talented martial artist, but he lacks focus. He spends most of his time reading comics or playing video games. And Raphael's a hot head." He rolled his eyes.

"So, do you all do martial arts?" she got up and sat beside him on the log.

"Um, yes." He looked down at her, not expecting the move. "Master Splinter taught us."

"The rat?" she asked unsure.

"Yes, he's our Sensei and our father. He raised us." Leo smiled. "He's an amazing martial artist, unbeatable really. He always leaves us flat on our shells when we spare with him." He chuckled.

Melody laughed.

Leo perked up, looking at her. She had pretty laugh, almost musical.

"I had no idea what to make of him when I first saw him. I'm use to mutant reptiles, not mammals."

"Yeah, he gets the worst reactions from people. Good first impressions are hard to make when people faint at the site of you."

She laughed again, causing him to chuckle.

"Oh!" She stood up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure." He shrugged. She had already asked him half a dozen.

"Yesterday, in the clearing, were you practicing kenjutsu or iaido?"

Leo was surprised she knew those art forms. "Uh, it was a basic kenjutsu cotta. How did you know that's what I was doing?" He stood up.

"I've always been fascinated with the martial arts, both Japanese and Chinese. I've done my research." She smiled.

"Really?" Leo was pleasantly surprised. She was speaking his language.

"Yes, though I've never met a master of it."

He chuckled. "I'm not as good as Master Splinter, but I know my way around. Our primary style is ninjustu."

"You mean your ninjas? That's amazing!" She beamed. "I have so many questions."

Thus began their endless conversation. Melody asked the questions, and Leo was happy to answer, and demonstrate as well. The suspicious and eerie feelings he had were long gone. He was completely enjoying himself while in Melody's company. It was so refreshing to talk about his life to someone new; even more so since she could relate to him. He was amazed this was even happening in the first place, that he was talking with another mutant other than his brothers. They had begun walking through the forest, not really going anywhere; just walking and talking.

"Wow Leo, your life is amazing! Mutating from ordinary turtles, growing up in the sewers, fighting secret ninja clans, and dragon gangs. Who knew? You make city life sound really exciting."

"Well, the Foot Clan helps with that." He chuckled.

"But what's even more amazing, is that we're even having this conversation. I thought me and my sisters were the only people like us. I never dreamed I'd meet anyone even remotely similar."

"I know what you mean."

"Wait till I tell them! They won't believe me. We need to set up a time for ours families to meet!" she said excitedly.

Leo stopped and thought about the idea. Melody turned and looked at him. Most of their conversation was about him, his family, their fighting styles and so on. He hadn't asked her very many questions about her own family, or anything that could have helped him fit the pieces of his puzzling dreams together. He was so caught up in the excitement of the situation. But how would he ask her those questions? _Hey, I've been having bad dreams about a girl with eyes just like yours turning into a monster that wants to eat me. Know anything about that? Yeah, that wouldn't go well. _He thought sarcastically.

"Leo?" He looked down to see Melody staring at him. "Lost in thought?" She giggled.

"Um, yeah. Sorry. I think getting everyone together would be a great idea." He smiled. His brothers would be blown away for sure.

"Great. I don't suppose you have a cell phone?" she pulled an IPhone from her back pocket.

"I do in fact, but, not on me. It's back at the, house…" It suddenly dawned on Leo that the sun was beginning to set. "I've been out here for hours…" he said dazed. "I'm going to get it for sure this time…" he moaned.

"Huh?" Melody cocked her head confused.

"Never mind." He waved it off. Looking around, he realized he was quite lost. "I really need to be getting back. No one knows where I ran off to and I've been out here for hours. There all worried sick by now."

"Yikes. Don't worry, I can get you back, but first let's take a picture! No one will question our sanity with photographic evidence." Before Leo could reply, she stood beside him, leaning in close. "Smile!"

"Uh." He managed a crooked smile before she snapped the photo.

"Give me your number and I'll send it to you. Oh, can you get picture messages?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He gave her his number and they continued on their way. As they neared the farm house, Melody suggested different ways they would bring their families together.

"How about this, we can all meet at lake for a day at the beach. We've all been dying to go swimming, and I think it would be more relaxing of an introduction that way." She suggested.

"I guess that as good an idea as any." He smiled.

"Great." She looked ahead. "We're here. The farm house is just beyond those trees." She pointed Leo in the right direction.

Leo sighed. He wasn't looking forward to the angry screaming that awaited him. He looked down at Melody. She smiled at him sympathetically.

"Don't worry, it won't be so bad. Believe me, I've disappeared and come home later than I should have many times. Just explain what happened. They'll forget all about it. They'll be too excited." She winked.

Leo felt his face getting a little warm. "Yeah, I know." He smiled back sheepishly. He felt kind strange; must be all the excitement. It had been a pretty crazy day after all.

"I better get going too." She turned to leave.

"Wait." Leo said quickly. She turned back to him. "I need to ask you something."

"Okay." She smiled.

"Uh." He thought for a moment, putting the words together in his head. He decided to just come out with it. "Were you at the lake last night?"

She smiled. "Yes, I was. I assume that was you on the shore then?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Boy did you startle me. No one's usually ever out there at night. I thought I was all alone." She smiled sheepishly. "I guess I should be more careful."

Before he could ask another question, she turned to leave again. "I have to get home. I'll see you later, Leo. Text me!" she waved her phone at him and jogged off.

"Uh, sure. I will!" He waved goodbye.

For a moment he stood there and watched her run deeper and deeper into the forest, until he couldn't see her any more. He hadn't really gotten all the answers he was seeking, but he knew there wasn't any real danger looming around now. Melody had been doing the looming. The thoughts of his dreams were ever present in the back of his mind. He couldn't quite get the pieces to fit. He didn't understand yet how this was all connected. He had a feeling it would all reveal itself, one way or another. It still worried him.

Right now, he had more pressing matter to attend to. Like the start of World War Three. With a deep breath, Leo stepped out of the wood, into the front yard of the farm house. Time to face the music he supposed. Ironic choice of words…


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six: Meeting Plans**

April paced back and forth in front of the Fire place. Splinter sat in his easy chair meditating. It was important to remain calm in a situation like this.

"Master Splinter, I'm worried. What if something really bad happened to him? Especially with him not acting like himself." Her pace quickened. "Where could he be…" She moaned.

"We must remain calm, child. Leonardo will return, safe and sound."

"How do you know?" She asked.

"I don't, but I must believe he will."

April sighed and plopped down on the couch. "I'll never understand how you can be so calm."

Just then, the front door opened and Casey walked in, followed Donnie, Raph, and Mikey.

April stood up quickly. "Well?" She asked impatiently.

"We aint found him babe…" Casey sighed.

"We looked everywhere." Donnie added. "The lake, the clearings, hiking trails. We even went down the road and poked around the neighbors yards."

"Dudes, what if big foot got him!" Mikey panicked.

"Mikey!" Raph gritted his teeth and balled up his fists. "Unless you got something helpful ta say, keep ya mouth shut!"

Mikey slowly backed away from his enraged brother, chuckling nervously.

Splinter sighed and stood from his chairs. "Raphael, clam yourself." He walked towards the group. "The only thing we can do is to continue searching. We will go out in pairs and go deeper into the forest. Casey and April will go to the homes of the other residence and search the roads. We will find Leonardo." He instructed.

"Yes sensei." Raph huffed.

"This really isn't like Leo to just disappear." Don commented. "It really worries me."

"Come." Splinter headed for the door. "We must go quickly."

"I got it." Mikey rushed ahead and pulled the door open. "AH!" He yelped.

Leo stood in the doorway. "Uh, hi." He waved.

"LEO!" Mikey jumped on his older brother, locking him in a bear hug. "You're alive!"

"Yes Mikey, I am." He coughed.

The others quickly gathered on the porch, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Leo." April ran up and hugged him. "You had us so worried."

"I'm sorry April." He hugged her back.

"Oh no, you aint sorry yet." Raph stormed up to him, jabbing his finger into Leo chest. "Where da hell have you been, Leo? We've been look'n for ya all day!"

"We were freak'n out dude!" Mikey added.

"You just disappeared. You didn't answer your cell and were gone for hours. You had us real worried Leo…" Don said calmly, genuinely concerned.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time and-"

"That is no excuse my son." Splinter look at him sternly. "You of all understand the danger we are facing at the moment." Splinter tensed when he noticed a disturbingly familiar scent lingering around Leo. Where did you go? What happened?" He demanded.

Leo sighed. "When I went to get the ball-"

"Which you never brought back." Mikey interrupted.

Raph slapped him. "Shut it Mikey."

"Anyways. I saw someone."

"And ya thought you'd play da hero and go after them yaself?" Raph asked. "Cause dat worked so well for ya last time." He crossed his arms, glaring at his brother. Just cause he was the oldest and their supposed leader, didn't give him an excuse for this.

"No Raph. I'd had seen them before and-"

"You mean someone's been poking around da place and ya didn't tell me?" Asked Casey. "They've probably been casing da joint!"

"No Casey, its not like that." He tried to explain.

"Then what is it like, Leo?" Raph demanded.

"Maybe if you stop interrupting me I can tell you." He said, frustrated.

Raph gritted his teeth.

"Let Leonardo explain…" Splinter said calmly.

Leo decided to just come out and say it. "I met another mutant."

A series of shocked and confused looks came to their faces.

"What do ya mean? Ya met another turtle?" asked Casey.

"No, she's a lizard of some sort. Her name is Melody. She and her family live out here." He continued to explain. "I saw her the other day in the clearing while training. I startled her and she ran off. She was in the front yard this afternoon. I didn't want her to get away again, so I ran after her. When I finally caught up to her, we started talking and time just flew by." The others looked at him uncertainly.

"Are ya pull'n our legs Leo?" asked Raph, not quite buying it.

"You actually met a mutant chick?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"Yes."

"Can ya prove it." Raph provoked.

"Actually, I can." He walked past them and into the house. He dug through his beach bag which had been left at the foot of the stairs case since yesterday. He pulled out his shell cell and opened the text message that was waiting for him. He smiled, seeing the picture of him and Melody. He turned and showed it to the group. They gasped. True enough, there was a pretty, raven haired, mutant girl standing beside Leo. "She took this picture on her cell phone then sent it to me, so I could show it to all of you."

"Whoa!" Mikey snatched the phone. "She's totally hot!"

"Mikey!" April snapped.

"Let me see dat!" Raph took the phone from Mikey.

Don peered over his shoulder. "Amazing. Where did she come from?"

"Is she single?" Mikey asked. Raph hit him upside the head. "Ouch!"

Splinter wacked the phone out of his sons hands with his cane and caught it in his own. He examined the image closely. He looked down thoughtfully. The possibility of there being others like his son and himself, though still very unlikely, was not completely impossible. Their friend Leather Head back in the city was proof of that. He gave the device a quick sniff. It carried that scent. Just then, the phone rang. A text message appeared. "I believe it is for you, Leonardo." He handed the phone back to his Leo.

"Is it from her?" Mikey asked, leaning over his brother's shoulder.

"Yes." He shoved Mike off his shoulder and opened the text.

"What did she say?" asked April.

Mikey snatched the phone and read the message. "She said she told her sisters about us and that they're really excited!"

"Mikey!" Leo snatched it back. He read the message. "How did she get home so quickly…?" he thought aloud.

"She has sisters?" asked Don.

"Are they all mutants too?" asked an ever excitable Michelangelo.

"Where do dey live?" Asked Raph.

"My sons, calm yourselves." Splinter ordered. "Give Leonardo a chance to communicate with the young lady."

"You mean young mutant." Mikey corrected.

Raph slapped him upside the head, again.

Leo sent a message back telling how his brothers were excited as well, and that he wasn't in any big trouble once he explained what happened. A few moments later she replied, saying: 'Good. I was worried.' Leo closed the phone. "Before she left, she suggested that our families meet. "He explained. " She has a brother and three sisters. The all live out here with their parents."

"So it's a whole mutant family? Awesome!" Mikey exclaimed.

"No Mikey. Only she and her sisters are mutants. Her brother and parents are human."

"Really?" Mikey asked. "How does that work?" he asked, scratching his head.

"They're all adopted." He said plainly. "She suggested we all get together at the lake sometime."

"Wow, this is amazing." April said excitedly.

It didn't take long for Michelangelo to bombard Leo with questions. "Does she have a long stick tongue? Can they stick to walls? Are they cold blooded? How old are they? Does she like sports?"

"Mikey! Calm down." He exclaimed, pushing his brother off him.

"How about a tail? Oh, can she change color? Are her eyes all crazy and animal like?" Mikey went on with his torrent of questioning.

Leo groaned, this was gonna be a long night. But, he was pleased with the way things had turned out.

"Michelangelo, be silent." Splinter commanded.

Immediately, Mikey shut up. Everyone looked to Splinter, who was stroking his chin in deep thought. "Leonardo, may I see the photo again?"

Leo nodded and brought the image back up, handing the device to Splinter. So this girl was the presence he had felt coming closer and closer to them. Something about the situation felt a little off to him. But, he felt no harm in meeting this unique family. It may even provide answers to some questions he had been pondering in his mind.

"Leonardo, I would like to meet her before we press forwards with this gathering." He handed the phone back.

Leo felt a bit uneasy. Did Splinter not trust his judgment? No, that wasn't it. This was an unusual scenario, and it made sense that he would want to meet her first, before exposing their family. "Yes Sensei."

"Please send a message and ask when she would be available."

Leo nodded and sent the message. A moment later she replied. 'Absolutely! Be there in the morning.'

"She'll be here in the morning, Sensei." Leo smiled.

"Very good." Splinter returned to his chair.

"Alright! This is awesome!" Mikey was bouncing off the walls.

"I better clean up." April gasped. "The kitchen is a mess!" She rushed off to tidy up.

Mikey rushed back up to Leo and begin his interrogation again. Leo rolled his eyes.

TT

That night, Leo lay in his bed, thinking of the day's events. He thought back to him and Melody's conversation and the few things he discovered about her. She knew a lot about the forest; things like plants and wildlife. She spent a lot of time outdoors. He had enjoyed listening as she pointed out different things along their walk. She adored marital arts, her favorite movie was the Karate Kid, and she loved sushi.

He found it hard to fall asleep. He was too excited about seeing her again. Who wouldn't be? After all, he and his brothers thought they were the only of their kind. Leather Head was an exception, but this was even better. True, they weren't turtles, but this was as close as they would get, and he had no problem with that. He opened his phone and looked at the image of him and Melody. It was hard to believe she was real; that they had spent the whole afternoon talking. He starred at it until his eyes drooped, and sleep took him over.

TT

The morning sun greeted the awakening turtles with a new day full of anticipation. Michelangelo was especially rowdy this morning. He peeked over the edge of the bed at his sleeping older brother, and taking in a big breath, he screamed into a megaphone; securing his wish for a painful death.

"WAKE UP LEO!"

"Wwaaaaaah!" Leo shot out of bed, tumbling over and hitting the floor with a thud. Steam could be seen bellowing out of his ears.

"Michelangelo!" he shouted, jumping up and running after his brother, who was laughing like a maniac. But it was a short lived victory; for he soon found himself face down with an angry Leo on his back.

"What the shell was that for?! I was actually enjoying my sleep." Leo blinked. He had actually had a goodnights sleep. There hadn't been a nightmare. No dreams at all.

"Its already ten dude, you slept in…" Came his muffled reply. "Everyone's waiting for you down stairs."

Ten o'clock in the morning? Leo hadn't slept in that late for ages. He must have slept pretty hard. It made since. He was pretty exhausted. But why hadn't he had a dream?

"You didn't have to give me a heart attack, Mike. You could have just pulled the sheets back or something." He helped his little brother up and turned to make his bed.

"Where's the fun in that?" He said with an innocent smile.

Leo rolled his eyes as he tied on his mask and headed down stairs. He'd worry about his nightmare, or lack thereof, later. He greeted every one as he took his seat beside Master Splinter at the kitchen table.

"Good morning sleepy head." April chimed from the sink.

"Good morning April." Leo replied.

"Leo, your cell went off while you were sleeping." Don quickly handed it to him. "I kept it from Mikey for you."

"Thanks Donnie." Leo smiled and looked at the message. "Melody says she'll be here around ten thirty. She's sorry for coming so late."

"We was starting ta wonder." Casey said from his seat at the table.

"Just what a ya gonna do when ya meet this chick, sensei?" Raph asked.

"Nothing." He said simply. "I simply wish to meet her myself before we talk about a family gathering." He sipped his tea.

"I can't wait!" exclaimed Mikey.

"You and your other brothers will stay in the attic until Leo fetches you." Splinter ordered.

"What? Why?" he whined.

"Because ya might scare her off with ya ugly face." Raph teased.

"It is simply a precaution my son." Splinter explained.

"You get to have all the fun…" Mikey said to Leo, pouting. Leo shrugged.

Splinter glanced a his blue clad son. He took note of how Leo seemed to be acting like his old self. He didn't appear very tired this morning.

Their late breakfast was cleaned up quickly and every one scattered throughout the house. Don, April, and Splinter were playing cards at the dinning table while Raph, Casey and Mike watched TV in the living room. Leo decided he'd read one of the books he brought with him and headed for the stairs. On the way he stopped in the bathroom to freshen up and saw all the wet towel piled in the corner from showers last night. April wouldn't be happy about that. He sighed and gathered them up, taking them to the laundry room. As he put them in their separate basket, he heard what sounded like barking outside. Looking out the window, he saw a big German Sheppard walking out of the forest. At the other end of his leash was Melody.

Leo quickly ran to the living room. "She's here." He announced.

Splinter looked to the others. "Rapheal, Donatello, Michelangelo, go upstairs."

"Ugh." Mikey moaned. "So not fair!" He quickly ran upstairs, followed by his brothers. Then there was a knock. Splinter stood from his chair and nodded to Leo.

Leo proceeded towards the door and opened it. The dog pushed past Leo and ran into the house, tackling Splinter. The poor rat let out a surprised yelp.

"Cop! No!" Melody ran inside and grabbed the leash, pulling him off the old master. Leo quickly went to his father's aid and helped him to his feet.

Once she had the excited canine under control, Melody turned to Splinter and bowed. "Hijō ni gomen'nasai. Gomen'nasai!" She stood up. "I should have had a better hold on him. Please forgive me Splinter sensei." She bowed again.

Splinter was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected to be tackled by a dog, or for her to speak his native language. He chuckled at bit. "Sore wa daijōbudesu. There is no need for apologies, child." He dusted himself off and regained his composure.

Leo quickly took the opportunity to formally introduce her before something else happened. "Master Splinter, this is Melody. Melody, this is Splinter, our sensei and father."

"Its a pleasure to meet you." She smiled.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Melody." He shook her hand and briefly made eye contact. He felt a sharp serge of energy. He had to force the feeling back, before his fur stood on end and gave it away. She still seemed to have noticed and quickly averted his gaze.

"And this is April O'Neil and Casey Jones." Leo motioned to the two humans in the room.

"Hey." Casey said simply.

"We're so excited to meet you." April shook Melody's hand, smiling ear to ear. Melody giggled. "May I ask who your friend is?" She motioned towards the dog.

"This is Cop." She let April pet the happy shepherd on his head. "He's my brother's dog. He insisted I bring him with me."

"He's such a beautiful dog." April commented. She then stood. "Can I get you anything? Maybe a drink or a snack or something?"

"Oh, you don't have to trouble yourself."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. How about some lemonade?"

"That sounds great." Melody giggled at the older woman's eagerness. She was very polite.

"Please, won't you take seat?" Splinter motioned to the couch.

Melody nodded and made herself comfortable, curling her tail up beside her. Cop lay at her feet.

Splinter took his seat in his chair, He casually stroked his chin with his hand, breathing in Melody's lingering scent. It was very familiar

Leo stood by the fire place, leaning against the wall. He looked her over real quick. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a sleeveless yellow sports top and a pair of capris. She was bare foot, naturally. She had mentioned to him that a good fitting pair of shoes was hard for her to come by.

"Leonardo has spoken highly of you. He says you wish to have a family gathering?" Splinter asked.

"Yes." She explained. "My sisters and I never thought there were other people in the world like us. I'm sure you all thought the same thing. They were thrilled when I told them I had met Leo. I thought a day at the lake would be a great way for all of us to be introduced."

April came back with some glasses of lemonade and a plate of cookies. "I baked these last night. I thought you might like them."

"Thank you Ms. O'Neil." Melody happily accepted her glass and nibbling on a cookie.

"Oh, you can call me April." She sat down on the other side of the couch. Casey pulled up a chair from the sitting table and joined the group.

"You and your sisters are alike, but I understand your brother and your parents are human?" Splinter asked, taking a glass.

Melody nodded. "Obviously we're all adopted. None of us are their biological children, but Justin and Mona Lisa are actually my father's niece and nephew. I'd tell you the story behind that, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for the others."

Splinter nodded. "Where exactly do you and your family live?"

"We have a house on ten acres of private property farther north. It's back in the woods. You'd never know it was there. We've lived out here for about five or six years now. We use to live in the city when we were kids."

"You're a bit far from home den. What were ya doin all da way out here?" Casey asked.

"I'm a big outdoors girl and an advent runner. I was on a run and ended up down here the other day and saw you all at the lake. You can imagine my surprise."

"Don't suppose you know anything about who or what broke in here den?" Casey motioned to the claw marks that were still etched into the walls.

Splinter noticed she tensed ever so slightly when she looked at the marks. "Not really. I saw a bear out here a few weeks ago. People around here have had trouble with bears before. Maybe it was him?" she shrugged. She kept her gaze away from the markings as best she could.

"Hm." Casey shrugged.

Leo had noticed her tense up as well. It bothered him. They all wanted to know what had trashed the house. Her reaction made him wonder if maybe she knew more than she was saying. He was certain Splinter had picked up on it. Then again, he could just be paranoid. What would Melody have to hide?

"When do you think you and your sisters would be able to meet?" April asked. "I think a day at the lake is a great idea. That is, if it's alright with you, Master Splinter."

Splinter smiled and chuckled softly. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

Melody smiled. "We can meet you there tomorrow if you want."

"YES!"

Everyone's head turned towards the stair case. At the top of the stair case, Don and Raph where covering Mikey's mouth, unseen by those in the living room.

Melody giggled.

Splinter nodded towards Leo, who walked towards the stairs. "You guys can come down now." He called.

A flash of green and orange flew by him.

Mikey came bounding towards her, the others were following closely. "Wow! You're a girl!" He looked her over. Leo face palmed.

"And you're a boy." She giggled.

"Bone head." Said Raph, slapping him on the back of the head.

"Smooth…" said Don.

"Melody, these are my brothers, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael." Leo stepped forward, introducing his brother.

"Nice to meet you." Don offered his hand. She took and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Cop jumped up and barked happily.

"Cool dog!" Mikey knelt down and rubbed Cops belly. "Who's a good boy?"

"So what time should we meet you at the lake tomorrow?" April asked.

Melody thought for a moment. "How about around nine thirty to ten?"

"Sounds great!" April grinned.

Melody pulled out her phone to check the time. "I sadly have to be going now."

"Aw…" Mikey wined. He stood up and Cop trotted over to Melody. She took his leash and headed for the door.

"Thank you for having me. The cookies were great, April."

"You very welcome. We were happy to have you."

"Yeah, come by anytime." Casey smiled, putting an arm around April's shoulders.

Leo opened the door for her. "We'll see you tomorrow then." He smiled.

She nodded, then whispered, "I'll text you later." Then she headed out the door.

Leo was about to shut it when Mikey shouted "Wait!" he ran to the door. "One quick question." Melody turned to him. "Do you have a long snake like tongue?"

"Michelangelo!" Leo scolded. The others all smacked their foreheads at his rude and immature question. Melody laughed a loud.

"You mean like this…" Melody stuck out her forked tongue and hissed. The other were a bit surprised; especially Leo, who found his face reddening a bit.

"Whoa... that's so cool!" Mikey exclaimed.

Melody giggled. "Good bye Michelangelo." With that she walked off into the woods.

Leo took one last glance towards the woods before closing the door.

Melody stopped and looked back at the house through the trees. She looked down at Cop. "So, what do you think?" The dog cocked his head looking up at her. "Glad you approve." She glanced back at the house again. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to come back here. Just my luck they would be staying here." She looked back down at Cop. "Ready to go boy?" She leaned down and picked up the large canine, cradling him in her arms as though he weighed nothing. He sat there contently. Then, she took off running at inhuman speed.

TT

That evening, Splinter sat in his chair. It was a bit chilly that night, so Casey lite a fire in the fire place. His sons were in the attic, no doubt talking about what tomorrow would bring. He thought back to his encounter with Melody. She was a mysterious girl indeed. There was much more to her than he knew the others could see. Perhaps Leo shared his feeling and could sense what he was sensing, but he didn't want to worry the others with premature assumptions. Still, there was clearly more questions that needed to be answered.

He thought back to the dreams Leo had experienced. They started the first night they arrived. And the strange presence that had lingered around them was there as well. Each day it grew ever closer, until it finally came into their temporary home. He couldn't fit all the pieces together to have it all make sense, but he knew, he just knew there was something there behind her stunning eyes.

There was no immediate danger, and no reason for him to refuse a meeting of their families, but Splinter feared maybe the others girls would give off the same unsettling feeling. If so, he knew he couldn't let his son interact with them. Not until he knew for certain what was being hidden beneath the surface.

Despite all that, the most unsettling thing of all was Melody's scent. It had taken a bit, but Splinter had finally figured out where he had smelled it before. It had been all over the clawed walls and floors. Though it was quite stale when he first smelt it, there was now no doubt in his mind it was Melody's. What he didn't understand was, how. She couldn't have cause the destruction in their home, but he had a feeling she knew what really did. For now, all he could do was meditate, and hope for the best come morning.

TT[p-

Upstairs, the turtles were getting themselves settled for the night. All four brothers where laying in their beds, listening to Mikey chattering away.

"So, what do you think they'll be like?" he asked aloud.

"Most likely, no more different looking than Melody." Don answered.

"Do you think there all as cute as her?" He asked.

Don shrugged. "We'll have to wait and see."

"Aw, I hate waiting, I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight."

"Not if you keep talking." Leo commented. He wasn't too thrilled with the way Mikey went on about Melody's looks. He wondered why that was.

Raph laid in silence, only half hearing his younger brother's conversation. There were other mutants out there; female, for lack of better word. Suddenly, the chance of finding that special someone didn't seem so slim as before. He wasn't jumping to conclusions or anything; he hadn't even met the other girls yet. But like Mikey said, Melody was pretty attractive, and he could tell by the way his older brother was looking at her, that Leo thought the same thing. But she wasn't Raphs type. She was too polite and stuff.

Leos mind was winding with similar thoughts. Melody was sweet and good humored, but her interaction with Master Splinter, as insignificant as it was, made him think back to his dreams. He had so many unanswered questions. How was she connected to his dreams? Why had he dreamt about her when they had never met before? How did he dream about her? It wasn't really a dream about 'her', but she was represented in his dreams. And why did that monster always appear? Could she be dangerous? No, that couldn't be it.

He quickly tossed that thought aside. She wasn't dangerous. Still, why was she in his dream? And why didn't he have a dream last night? Leo felt his head begin to spin; too many thoughts. He was thinking to hard again. He shook it off and reached for his shell cell on the end table beside his bed. He pulled up the picture of Melody. He smiled. Mikey was right. She was cute, but he liked the word beautiful better.


End file.
